


Surprise Arrival

by BlackHunter666



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-12
Updated: 2014-12-09
Packaged: 2018-02-25 02:08:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 39,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2604665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackHunter666/pseuds/BlackHunter666
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emily lives a quiet, lonely life out in the country. Her only contact with the outside world is online and she's made quite a few amazing friends that show her what's out there beyond her little unit in a small country town. But when her phone goes off unexpectedly one morning, her quiet little world is turned upside down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, let me just get a few things straight. I don't own any of the songs in this story however I am claiming full ownership of the Swayin' Jays, the Scurvy Scoundrels, and all associated characters. I've had a few people ask if they can use my boys in their own story and got upset when I said no, they couldn't use them. This is an original work, of course you can't have my characters for your own uses. Find your own band to write about and leave me with my JAys

***BZZZT* *BZZZT***  
  
Looking up from my keyboard, I sighed and reached for my phone, flicking the lock screen open and bringing up the messenger. I had no idea who would be messaging me at this hour; I live a simple, quiet life out in the country so messages are rare. It was from one of my newer American friends, Jason. We spoke regularly so I wasn't too bothered by him breaking my focus but the message was weird.  
  
Hey, just landed in Melbourne. Now what do we do?  
  
Are you serious? I replied, shaking my head slowly as I gazed at the screen.  
  
 ***BZZZT* *BZZZT***  
  
This time it was a photo message and sure enough, the four of them were standing in front of the international airport in Melbourne. Rolling my eyes, I couldn't help but smile as my phone buzzed again and another message popped up on screen.  
  
Now do you believe me? What do we do now?  
  
Yeah, I believe you now. Okay, here's what you need to do next. I returned, still not fully able to believe this was happening. You will need to get to Southern Cross Station. There should be a bus running but if not, hail a taxi.  
  
Putting my phone aside, I realised something else that was really important and grabbed my phone up again. You guys do have Australian currency, right? Sending that message, I put my phone down and tried to get back into my writing again.  
  
 ***BZZZT* *BZZZT***  
  
Yes, we did get our money converted. Yours is weird.  
  
Reading his message, I chuckled softly and rolled my eyes, not at all surprised that he found Australian money a little strange compared to American notes. Yeah, but you'll find it's a lot harder to damage our notes than yours. Sticking a grinning emote on the end, I sent the message and put my phone down again, once more attempting to focus on my writing but I knew it was fairly much hopeless. I couldn't stop thinking about the possibilities of what was happening.  
  
Abandoning my writing and tucking my phone in my pocket just in case, I set about cleaning up the house and planing on what to do next. I only have a small flat and by the time the guys arrived here, there was little chance of them getting accommodation so as a temporary measure, I planned to let them crash at my place for the night and set about finding a motel in the morning.  
  
Cleaning out the second bedroom to make space and taking a heap of stuff out to the shed in the backyard, I got busy with changing the sheets on both beds and put the dirty ones on to wash as I pulled down some extra blankets and put them on my office chair. Clearing everything off the large couch I owned, I put most of that out in the shed as well and stacked the rest of it in a corner of the master bedroom to make space around the couch. Lastly I pulled my camping swag out of the wardrobe and dropped it in the corner of the living room.  
  
Getting the sheets out of the washing machine, I threw them into the basket and scooped it up, heading out the back to hang them up when my phone went off again. Grabbing the basket stand, I set the laundry down and hooked out my phone again.  
  
Okay, we made it to the station. Where next? The message was accompanied with another photo of the four of them out the front of the station and I chuckled softly as I typed my reply.  
  
I made sure to make the directions clear and easy to follow, this was their first trip to Australia and I didn't want them to get lost. I couldn't be perfectly clear though, I couldn't remember how to find the ticket booth inside the station but I figured it wouldn't be that hard to find it. Jason sent back a cheeky little grin and I laughed, putting my phone away to focus on the sheets I needed to hang out.

~*~*~*~*~

 ***BZZZT* *BZZZT***  
  
Bus driver just told me we're 2 hours from your home.  
  
Nodding slowly, I padded into the kitchen and leant against the kitchen counter to wait for the kettle to boil as I responded to the latest message. Guess you guys will be hungry when you arrive. You've got three choices on meat - steak, chicken or fish. You can also pick between baked potato, mashed potato or fries. There are other vegetables too but those are for all.  
  
It took a couple of minutes but my phone went into overdrive and I brushed the lock screen aside again, eyes widening as I now had four messages on the screen but at least I knew what was going on and could plan accordingly.  
  
Jason _\- Steak, medium-rare with baked potato_

James _\- Grilled chicken and mash_

Jerry _\- Fish and baked potato_

Jamie _\- Steak, medium-well with fries_  
  
Laughing softly as I put the rest of my meat purchases in the freezer, I grabbed my phone again and acknowledged their food orders as well as letting them know I had cold beers waiting for them. I had no doubt that after a long flight and another few hours spent on the road, they would be all too happy to sit down with a beer and relax. Sure enough, I got big grins from all four of the guys that were heading my way. I had to look twice at Jamie's message, he'd found some musical emotes and thrown them on the end. Digging out some potatoes to start preparation for dinner, I replied to him that music would be greatly appreciated.  
  
Returning to my computer and turning up the volume on the background music, I saved my story and returned to the kitchen to at least get everything prepared. It was a bit too soon to begin cooking the meals but I could at least get everything set out and ready to go. I could only hope the guys appreciated my hard work to create a welcoming environment for them.

~*~*~*~*~

The meal over with, I smiled softly as I watched them relax back on the couch, nursing beers as they unwound after the long journey to get here. Already my mind was spinning with ideas of places I could show them but I had a feeling that they would be happy to stay close to home and relax for at least the first week.  
'Come and sit down, Emily.' James grinned, patting the space beside him.  
'Just let me grab my coffee.' I nodded, slipping back into the kitchen to gather my wits and make my coffee. I was so used to being alone and now I was surrounded by men that I had come to care about so much. It was enough to frazzle any woman.  
  
Feeling calmer, I returned to the guys and sunk down beside James, tucking my feet up and leaning into him just a little. He seemed surprised but quickly adjusted, slipping one arm around my shoulders and allowing me to curl in against his side comfortably.  
'Should we be concerned about some young man coming home and taking offence?' Jerry asked, watching us snuggle on the couch.  
'Not a chance. I'm a misfit in this town, few friends and no real close relationships. My parents moved away a few years ago and I've been pretty much alone ever since.' I replied, sipping my coffee and trying to relax.  
'A beautiful young woman like you shouldn't be alone.' Jamie remarked, getting up and moving towards the luggage pile.  
'Oh please, even around here beauty is decided by flawless skin and a stick figure body. There's no place for chubby girls with scars and other imperfections.' I snorted, rolling my eyes and rubbing lightly at a scar on the inside of my right wrist.  
'There's nothing wrong with curves. I'd rather not cuddle a stick.' Jason shrugged, draining his beer and reaching out to put the bottle on the table with the others.  
'Tell that to the rest of the world. If anything, I cop shit for being fat. No one looks twice at me when they could have a skinny chick.' I replied, lifting my head when Jamie paused to read what was on the computer screen. 'That's still a rough draft, it'll get better as I work at it.'  
'It already sounds interesting.' Jamie grinned, grabbing his banjo case and opening it.  
'I've gotten to be extremely proficient at writing battle scenes and weddings, as weird as that must sound. I write a lot of bloody battles, tending towards more blades than anything modern and the weddings, well those are a way for me to plan out something that I know will never come my way.' I explained, shifting against James' as I washed a bitter anger from my mouth.  
'Have you really given up so completely?' James asked, fingers stroking over my shoulder lightly.  
'On getting married and raising a family, yeah. I've pretty much given up on being anything other than a spinster writer in this little flat.' I nodded, leaning forward a little and pulling my hair free.  
'You shouldn't give up, Emily. You'll find someone, you just have to keep trying.' James coaxed, tugging me closer in an effort to comfort.  
'Ten years, I'd say that's long enough in a town this small.' I shrugged, draining my coffee mug and leaning over to put it on the table. 'It doesn't bother me so much anymore, just means there's more time for me to focus on the things that interest me more.'  
'Like your writing.' Jerry nodded, glancing over to my computer again.  
'Well that and I go out to the forest to test if what I'm writing will actually work. I might not have access to the weapons I write about but a good stout stick will usually suffice to give me an idea if it'll work.' I grinned, turning my hands over to reveal the calluses I earned from my practises.  
'You are a strange woman, no wonder we get along so well.' Jamie laughed, shifting his position on the couch and starting to play a slow song.  
'I've always been a unique sort.' I shrugged, relaxed and at peace as the music washed over us.  
  
At least it was peaceful until there came a soft snore from behind me and a chuckle from James. Sitting up, I turned and smiled softly, gazing at Jason as he slept, his face half buried in the couch cushions behind him.  
'Pay up, I win this time.' Jamie smirked, holding out one hand.  
'You guys were betting on who would drop first?' I asked, uncurling and getting to my feet.  
'We'll often have a bet on things like this. Keeps us amused on long trips.' James shrugged, digging out his wallet and pulling out a fiver. 'I honestly thought I had it this time.'  
'Remember when we had that bet Jamie couldn't stop swearing for an entire trip?' Jerry grinned, holding out another fiver.  
'Told you I could do it.' Jamie shrugged, accepting his winnings and tucking them in his wallet quickly. 'Not one swear word all tour, including when we were on stage.'  
'Impressive.' I nodded, reaching out to gently rouse Jason. 'Come on Jason, wake up. You can't sleep here, there's a bed already waiting for you.'  
  
It took a couple of minutes but I managed to get Jason at least partially conscious and hauled him to his feet, guiding him down the short hallway and into the second bedroom. He could barely manage to pull his shirt off before he was out cold on the bed, feet hanging off the side. Shaking my head slowly, I tugged his shoes off and set them aside before loosening his belt and pulling the covers over him. He never even twitched as I tucked him in and left the room quietly, he must have been absolutely exhausted.  
  
By the time I got back to the living room, Jerry was looking a little dozy and Jamie had stopped playing, the long journey and time differences finally catching up with him. Even James was drooping, head down as he cradled his almost finished beer in both hands.  
'Come on guys, I think it's time you all followed Jason's idea and got some sleep. It's getting late and you've all thrown your body clocks completely out of whack.' I suggested, surprised and humbled that Jamie offered no resistance when I eased his banjo from his hands and returned it to its case.  
'Sounds like a plan.' Jerry nodded, lifting his gaze slowly. 'Where we sleeping?'  
'Two of you will have to share the couch, I've got blankets right here for you. One of you can share my bed. I was going to make you sleep on the floor but I figure that's not fair.' I replied, retrieving the blankets I'd tucked under my computer desk.  
'Take James, he sleeps like the dead. Once he's down, he won't move.' Jamie nodded, finally realising his hands were empty. 'Where…'  
'I put it back in its case, don't worry.' I soothed, digging out the pillows I'd cached earlier and setting them on the couch. 'Come on James, this way.'  
  
Taking James by the hand, I led him through to my bedroom and around to the unused side of the bed. He just sat there for a moment, staring at the wall before getting going again and starting on his shirt buttons. Sitting beside him, I gathered up his hair and slipped off one of the spare hair ties I always kept around my wrist and bound his soft black hair back in a low ponytail before loosely plaiting it and securing the end with a second band.  
'thanks.' he mumbled, looking back over his shoulder at me as I helped him out of his shirt.  
'You've had a long and tiring couple of days. This is the least I can do.' I replied, tossing his shirt down by his shoes and guiding him back. 'Get some rest, I'll be back in a minute.'  
'G'night.' he muttered, burrowing under the blankets and dropping off almost immediately.  
  
Pushing aside my own exhaustion, I returned to the living room once more and padded quietly over to the couch, not willing to wake Jamie and Jerry now that they were fast asleep. Turning the volume on my computer right down low, I shut everything down and turned it off then reached up to switch the modem off before tiptoeing across to smooth the blankets over the two men sleeping on my couch. Jerry didn't react when I touched his cheek lightly as I tugged the blanket up a little more. Jamie groaned faintly when I touched him, one deep brown eye cracking open for a moment but he soon settled again and drifted back to sleep.  
  
Satisfied that they were comfortable and sleeping peacefully, I switched of the lights and padded back to my bedroom, pausing only to check on Jason before slipping into my room and changing into my pyjamas. Switching off the bedside lamp as I climbed into bed, I settled quickly and closed my eyes, lulled by the soft, steady breathing beside me as I drifted off to a peaceful slumber.

~*~*~*~*~

'Good morning Emily!'  
  
Shocked out of my slumber by the sudden voice right near my head, I flipped over and lashed out with my right fist as my left hand plunged under my pillow for the knife I kept there at all times. Fingers curling around the worn timber hilt, I drew it out as I felt the solid impact of knuckles against bone. Kicking the blankets off, I pushed to my feet and held the knife out in readiness.  
'What the fuck?' Jamie groaned, looking up at me from where he'd crumpled to the floor.  
'What's going on in here?' Jason asked, appearing in the doorway. 'I told you it was a bad idea to try and wake Emily.'  
'I didn't expect her to lash out like that.' Jamie groused, sitting up slowly. 'That said, you throw a mean punch, Emily.'  
'Had asshole neighbours break in a couple of times, I've learned to fight first and ask later.' I shrugged, tucking the knife back under my pillow as James finally stirred.  
'What's the deal?' he asked, shoving his loose hair out of his eyes. 'It's still early.'  
'That's the time zones messing with you. It's almost ten in the morning.' I replied, helping Jamie to his feet and perching him on the edge of the bed. 'Jason, top door of the refrigerator in the kitchen. You'll find a stack of icepacks against the left wall. Grab the green one and wrap it in the smaller towel hanging from the pantry door.'  
'On it.' Jason nodded, slipping away as I brushed Jamie's hair back and coaxed him to lower his hands so I could see.  
'Well, you'll have one hell of a black eye for a while.' I grinned, lightly running my fingertips over his face. 'But it doesn't feel like I broke your nose. Can't feel any fractures to the eye socket either so I'd say you got off lightly.'  
'Sounds like you've fractured a few eye sockets in the past.' James remarked, sitting up and flicking the covers back.  
'You could say that. I had quite the reputation as a bruiser at school, putting the beat down on the school bullies when they tried their antics.' I nodded, still examining Jamie's face. 'Cost a lot of families a lot of money in dental repairs when I really got going.'  
'Sound like Jamie was lucky to avoid anything more serious.' Jason noted, handing over the icepack and moving back out of the way.  
'Aye, he certainly was.' I agreed, pressing the icepack to his face lightly. 'This little part-breed has caused a lot of harm to a lot of men.'  
'Part-breed? Hardly a flattering title there, Emily.' James commented, rolling off the bed and standing to enjoy a stretch.  
'It's a fair description. My father is a Scottish/Irish mix and me mother is Spanish/Caribbean. Goin' back further, I get quite the collection of races in my blood.' I nodded, looking up from Jamie. 'I feel closest to me Irish side so that's the part I really celebrate. The rest is just there.'  
  
Getting Jamie to his feet, I chased all three men out so I could dress in private. James paused at the door and left the borrowed hair ties around the doorknob before pulling the door closed. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I let my hair out of the night-time bun I wore as I opened my wardrobe and tried to decide what to wear.  
  
 ***BZZZT* *BZZZT***  
  
Grabbing my phone, I rolled my eyes at the message that popped up. James had just sent me a message asking what I wanted for breakfast. Sending back a message that I would organise something when I came out, I backed out of the messenger and opened my weather app, taking a look at what the day was supposed to be like. Based on that, I pulled on a pair of my favourite jeans and a long sleeved grey tee that would be warm enough for the breeze but still cool enough for the sunny day.  
  
Running my fingers through my hair to smooth it down, I closed my wardrobe and grabbed the ties James had left, slipping them onto my wrist for later. I could already smell coffee and bacon and chuckled when I heard the toaster pop.  
'Sounds like you guys are right at home.' I called, stopping outside the bathroom. 'Anyone in the bathroom?'  
'Yeah.' Jerry replied, cutting short my usual routine. 'Jason already called it next.'  
'Then I'm after Jason.' I nodded, turning and wandering into the kitchen.  
'Hope you don't mind us digging around for stuff.' Jason offered, giving me a grin as he flipped the bacon in the pan.  
'I don't care so long as you clean up the mess afterwards. If you're gonna stay here, you might as well know where everything is.' I shrugged, heading straight for the coffee maker. 'How long has the coffee been sitting in the pot?'  
'About fifteen minutes.' Jason replied, reaching for the mug on top of the microwave. 'Tastes different to the stuff back home but I like it.'  
'I can think of plenty of things that will probably taste different to back home but you'll adapt.' I shrugged, making my coffee and inhaling rich scent. 'Oh wow, now that's some strong coffee.'  
'Too much?' Jason asked, turning to look at me as I stared into my mug.  
'I'll just have to remember to add a little more milk and sugar to compensate.' I chuckled, doing just that and leaving him to finish making breakfast.  
  
Nowhere near awake enough to deal with people more than necessary, I grabbed my cigarettes from the desk and stuck the keys in the front door before stepping outside and closing the screen door behind me quickly. Shaking out a cigarette and tossing the pack on the table near the door, I dug a lighter out of my pocket and sparked it to life, shoulders drooping as I inhaled my first drag.  
'I didn't know you smoked.' Jamie remarked, stepping outside to join me as he ate his breakfast.  
'I'm trying to quit but it's not working. I'm getting there, it's just a long process.' I admitted, moving away from him a little. 'Thought we might go out today, I'll show you guys around town and maybe hook you up with a couple of gigs.'  
'Can we really get away with that?' Jamie asked, looking up from his meal.  
'So long as it's cash in hand, there shouldn't be any problems. Round here, people don't make such a fuss about stuff like that.' I shrugged, leaning back against the wall and watching the clouds drift past overhead. 'No promises I'll be able to convince anyone to give you a shot but it's worth a try.'

~*~*~*~*~

Walking down the main street with the guys, I knew we were attracting all sorts of attention but I didn't care. I've always been a bit of an oddity in this town so I was quite used to being stared at like I was some kind of freak. The fact I suddenly had four guys sticking close to me, eager to learn more about this town, well that was sure to start some rumours about me and my life choices.  
'This wasn't quite what I pictured when you said small town charm.' James remarked, adjusting the bag hanging over his shoulder.  
'I'm guessing there's nothing quite like this back home.' I grinned, gently squeezing his hand.  
'Not even close. We've got small towns but nothing like this.' Jamie nodded, running one hand through his hair.  
'For a couple of weekends during the year,  this place gets super busy but for the most, it's fairly quiet.' I shrugged, tensing up a little when I saw a familiar face approaching. 'Whatever happens, stay out of this. You're about to see the darker side of people around here.'  
'What do you mean?' Jason asked, keeping his bag tucked close as we continued walking.  
'Well look at this, the Irish whore has new men to fill her dirty holes.' a young man scoffed, eyes narrowed as he glared at us.  
'Seriously Bradley? Is that the best ya got? I've been called a lot worse but better men.' I replied, rolling my eyes. 'Now run along, I've got business to attend to.'  
'Even whores have more respect than to do their nasty business right here on the street.' Bradley smirked, pushing right into my personal space and reaching for my breast.  
  
Snarling low, I grabbed his wrists and raised my knee, slamming it hard into his groin. Spinning and yanking on his arms, I tossed him over my shoulder to crash into the wall beside us. Dusting off my hands, I put one foot on Bradley's neck when he tried to rise.  
'Next time, I'll rip ya fuckin' balls off! I've had enough of you Bradley and I will not hesitate to unleash Irish hell on ya!' I snapped, kicking him in the nuts one last time before turning and walking away. 'Come on guys, just leave him.'  
'Yet more proof why it's a bad idea to get on your bad side.' Jerry remarked, shaking his head in wonder as he fell in behind me again.  
'He an ass, has been since our school days. Seems to think he's god's gift to women and belittles any woman who won't spread her thighs for him.' I shrugged, reaching out to take James' hand again. 'Been dealin' with shit like that since I was sixteen, I'm kinda used to it now.'  
'You shouldn't have to put up with that, Emily.' Jamie sighed, shaking his head slowly.  
'I know, but he won't learn. I put the beat down on him at least every couple of days and he still tries it. I'd be surprised if he's still capable of fathering kids from the number of times I've hit him in the nuts.' I replied, rolling my shoulders quickly. 'Don't let it bother you, he's the only major asshole left in this town. All the others have learned not to mess with this Irish fire.'  
  
I was certainly heartened to hear the laughter from my friends as we crossed the main street and headed towards one of my preferred watering holes. It wasn't much on the outside but it had a certain charm inside and had a reputation for giving up and coming musicians a chance to play to a live crowd.  
'If you could, would you consider leaving this place for somewhere with better chances for you?' Jerry asked, shifting his guitar case into the other hand.  
'Sure, if I had the money I'd leave this place behind real quick. The fact is though, I've got no money to even consider moving away. It's a struggle to get work too so it's pretty much an impossibility for me to leave right now.' I nodded, leading the guys into the pub and approaching the bar. 'Afternoon Michael.'  
'Emily, what brings you in here today?' an older man smiled, stepping out of the back storeroom and approaching us. 'It's a bit early to start drinking.'  
'Actually, I was kinda hoping you'd be willing to give these guys a go on stage. They're really good, I promise you.' I replied, indicating the guys behind me with a wave.  
'I don't know about this Emily. They don't exactly look the part.' Michael sighed, looking over the guys as they stood patiently.  
'That's half the fun of their act. They might not look it, but I assure you they've got it where it counts.' I chuckled, glancing over my shoulder. 'How about a little demo before you make a choice.'  
'Very well. You know where the stage is.' Michael nodded, turning and heading back to the bar.  
'Come on guys, through here. He'll be back in just a few minutes so let's get set up and organised.' I chuckled, leading the four through to the small stage reserved for performances.  
'But we still don't have amps or mics.' James sighed, not sure what to do about the missing gear.  
'And if you earn this chance to perform, I'll see that you get the gear you need to really make this work.' I promised, releasing the barrier rope and rolling it back out of the way. 'Just do the best you can until we know for sure if this is going to work out.'  
  
Pulling my camera out of my pocket, I moved back and took a few photos as the guys set up on the stage, stacking their cases and bags behind them and formed up along the front of the stage. I was hopeful that Michael would like their unique style and agree to allow them access to the stage, preferably during the weekend to give them the maximum exposure.  
'What would you suggest, Emily?' Jason asked, adjusting the way his drum was hanging.  
'I'd suggest you stay away from the really bawdy songs until you get to know the audience. Start with something friendly and clean like Here's A Health and get a feel for the people before trying anything you'd usually open with.' I offered, perching on a stool and continuing to take photos.  
'We haven't played that in a while. I hope I can remember the words.' Jerry grinned, checking his tuning quickly.  
'Work it out fellas, I'll get you something to drink.' I nodded, sliding off my stool and heading back to the bar.  
  
Leaning on the bar and listening to the guys warm up for a show, I caught Tanya's eye and nodded, drawing her down towards me without seeming pushy.  
'What can I get you, Emily?' she asked, putting down the glass she'd been trying.  
'Four beers for the guys and a cola.' I requested, looking back at the guys. 'And if it ain't too much trouble, would you mind serving it up in the tankards you keep under the bar?'  
'Sometimes I wonder if you spend too much time in here, Emily.' Tanya laughed, reaching for the special tankards reserved for their most special of customers.  
'Just trying to look after my guests. They've come a long way to be here and I'd like them to leave with nothing but positive things to say about this little country town.' I chuckled, settling against the bar and relaxing as Tanya poured our drinks.  
  
Arranging the beautiful old tankards on a tray, I paid for them and slipped the tray onto my hand, lifting it as I pocketed my change and headed back to the guys. Michael was seated at one of the tables, watching the guys as I handed around the drinks and moved back a little and nodded, opening it up to them.  
'A toast.' James offered, raising his drink high. 'Here's to fighting, stealing and killing…'  
'Fighting for what you believe in!' Jerry added, lifting his drink.  
'Stealing a young girl's heart!' Jamie nodded, winking at me as he raised his tankard.  
'And killing a bottle with your friends!' Jason finished, tankard held high.  
'Sláinte!' all four finished, drinking deep as Michael chuckled and raised his own glass.  
  
Putting their drinks down out of the way, they launched straight into the song and I whipped up my camera again, wanting to record this moment for posterity just in case this was their only chance to perform in front of a local crowd. They'd wisely decided to go with my suggestion and kept it clean as they sang, having fun with the song and flicking their attention to me whenever there was a mention of a lass in the song.  
  
Michael was smiling and clapping along and the few patrons in the pub were all gathered around as well, smiling and clapping along with the rhythm. A few were even singing along quietly, thoroughly enjoying this little show. No one had expected it but it was blatantly clear that it was greatly appreciated.  
'Well, what do you say Michael? Willing to give the Swayin' Jays a chance with a full audience?' I asked, walking over to Michael's table and setting my drink down.  
'Do you guys do anything apart from sailor songs?' Michael asked, looking past me to the guys.  
'We do a little bit of a lot of things but we stick mostly to sea songs and ballads.' Jason shrugged, picking up his drink.  
'Mixed in with plenty of dirty humour and cheeky toasts.' Jamie added, lifting his tankard. 'A toast!'  
'Here's to the breezes that blows through the treeses. And lifts the girls skirts up above their kneeses. To show us the things that tease us and please us  And gives guys diseases.' Jason cut in, snatching the moment from Jamie. 'Sláinte!'  
'God what a snatch. Down the hatch!' Jamie smirked, cracking up laughing when Jason and James both choked on their drinks.  
'That's more what they're known for back home. Being down right rude, crude and very cheeky.' I chuckled, turning to the boys. 'Tone it down, guys. There are impressionable young ears in here at this time of day.'  
'Oops.' Jamie offered, ducking his gaze quickly.  
'I can guarantee you'll turn a profit on them, they offer dozens of toasts during each show.' I nodded, drinking deep and glancing back at the guys. 'I'm not saying you have to pay them, just let them throw down the hat and the patrons can decide if they want to give money.'  
'And give them free drinks during the night.' Michael muttered, watching the four closely.  
'Not every drink. I'll pay for some but free drinks will convince them to give a better performance.' I shrugged, taking a chance and hoping it all worked out.  
'Alright, I'll give them Friday night, eight until midnight. They keep the first hour child friendly but after that, they can get as dirty as they normally do. Every third round will be on the house for the first two hours then every second for the last two hours.' Michael offered, gaze flicking back to me as he spoke. 'I'll even cut them in on the profits. Let's say ten percent.'  
'Let me run it past the guys. I'm not their manager, just a friend.' I nodded, pushing off the table and heading over to the group. 'Gather round fellas, got an offer for ya.'  
  
Detailing the offer to the guys, I smiled softly as they looked at their tankards and grinned. Turned out that Michael's offer was a heck of a lot better than most of their gigs back home. Jason went on to explain that most of the time, they were expected to pay for all their drinks and quite frequently, they were only paid a pittance by those who hired them on for the night. They were really excited by the very generous offer Michael had given them.  
  
Breaking away from the group, Jason approached Michael and extended his hand, talking quietly with the older man. Accepting the hand, Michael stood and headed for the office as Jason returned to us with a smile on his face.  
He gonna write up a contract for us all to sign. I'm not riskin' us gettin' cheated out of this deal.' Jason explained, slipping one arm around my shoulders. 'I wonder if we can convince you to join us on stage.'  
'Me? Jason, I don't have a gift for music. Why would you want me up there?' I asked, stunned by the invite and wary of what they might want.  
'You obviously know our songs, why not join as another singer?' James replied, reaching out to lightly brush his knuckles over his cheek.  
'And if you're feeling comfortable with it, you could always try and dance to the rhythms.' Jamie suggested, adjusting the way his banjo was hanging over his shoulder.  
'I guess I could do that, but I am not wearing the skimpy outfits I saw in the videos.' I sighed, not really comfortable with the idea but I could see the sense.  
'Of course not, only what you're comfortable with. If that's a tee-shirt and jeans, so be it. But we'd certainly appreciate you being up there with us.' Jerry nodded, leaning on James' shoulder lightly.  
'Alright, alright, I'll do it. But you four are coming with me to find a suitable outfit for the show.' I sighed, figuring that if I had to be uncomfortable later, they could suffer now.  
'It's a deal.' Jason agreed, leaning down to kiss my forehead. 'We'll help you find something that'll work with the rest of the show.'

~*~*~*~*~

That first gig was a total success, much to Michael's surprise and mine as well. We only had three days to get word out about the Swayin' Jays being in town but somehow we turned what was usually a quiet little pub into the hottest ticket in town. It was pretty much standing room only, bodies wall to wall as this little country town opened their arms to the guys.  
  
Standing up there with the guys, I quickly lost my shyness and opened up to the experience, enjoying the chance to show my town that I wasn't a total social outcast. I didn't even mind the outfit they'd gotten me into, even though I usually hate showing my abdomen in public. Up there with the guys, it felt so right and natural to be wearing just a short top and a flared skirt covered in metal trinkets that clinked and jingled with every movement.  
  
Judging by the look of surprise on Jason's face at the end of the night, I was certain that even he hadn't expected their opening night to be anywhere near as successful as it was. Though they'd started the night with just Jason's hat on the floor to collect the tips, they ended up trading that for Jamie's banjo case after I had to empty the hat for the second time. The generosity shown really was astounding, I almost felt bad when the show ended and the exhausted guys finally got to sit down and rest. Quite a few drunken girls tried to get some action with the guys but they quickly turned away those who were interested and focused on their fantastic performance.  
  
James ended up with most of the attention, constantly having to push wandering hands away from his hair as he tried to enjoy the evening. Desperate to put an end to the touching, he cast his eyes to me, pleading silently for some help. He didn't expect me to walk over to him and tug him into a loving kiss, staking my claim on him as clear as anything. After that, the other women gave up on getting his attention. I admit, it wasn't my intention to knock him off his game but I wasn't sure how else to get the women to back off. There was no way I was going to let these women get their claws into James.  
  
The guys didn't seem to know quite what to do with their takings from the show, there was a lot more in the case than they had anticipated. First thing Monday, I took them down to my bank and opened up a new account, depositing the lot and promising that now it was safe until they knew what to do with it. I got a really strange look when I asked if it would be possible to get four cards linked to the account but the poor lady behind the counter almost fell off her chair when Jason corrected that to five cards. She seemed to think it was all a joke until James asked very nicely and explained that it was an account for the band. That calmed her down and she processed the additional requests, informing us that the cards would take ten days to arrive but we were welcome to come into the branch and access the account with the details written on the paperwork she handed James.  
  
I should have realised then that the guys were up to something but it never crossed my mind that they would pull off something like they did. But I'm getting ahead of events now, there's still a lot to talk about before I can explain why that money turned out to be such a blessing for me when I really needed to be reminded of the love we shared. Suffice to say, they made a couple thousand that night and squirreled it all away for an emergency.   
  
Michael left us all in shock on the Tuesday after the show, we stopped in their for lunch since I knew it was the best feed in town and he asked if it would be possible for the Swingin' Jays to come back and perform each Friday while they were still in the country. They barely even had to discuss it before Jason stood and shook Michael's hand even as he requested a new contract be written out. Michael just grinned and presented Jason with a new contract, matching the offer for the first show for as long as the guys were staying in the area. All Michael asked was that they give him a week notice of when they were leaving. Passing the contracts around to be signed by everyone, Jason told Michael exactly when they would be leaving the area and heading back to America to pick up their careers over there. Michael seemed content with his answer, likely looking forward to three more Fridays like last week.

~*~*~*~*~

'You know, this kinda reminds me of that old kids story about mice. One living in the town and the other in the country.' Jerry commented, looking up from his guitar with a grin.  
'You really are weird, Jerry.' Jamie sighed, shaking his head slowly. 'Just when I think I've heard it all, you open your mouth again and I'm surprised all over again.'  
'Actually, it makes sense. I know the story, it was a popular book when I was growing up. Think about it, in the book both mice learned much during their visits to each others' homes but in the end they were happiest where they felt they belonged. I'm certainly much more comfortable in the country, I've tried city life but I was glad to get home. No doubt you guys are the same, missing home and longing for the active nightlife you're all so used to.' I nodded, looking up from my writing.  
'I won't deny it, I miss the big city. I miss being able to run to the convenience store just down the block when I need something. I miss the variety of foods available within a few city blocks. But most of all, I miss the security I feel when I've got a concealed firearm tucked through my waistband.' James agreed, twirling his favourite beater in his fingers.  
'Yeah, I have no doubt our gun laws are really restrictive for you. It's really hard for people with a legitimate need for a firearm to get one, much less the average person on the street.' I grinned, turning back to my story and reading over what I'd just written. 'Ugh, get ya head on straight. Stephie ain't a fragile flower.'  
'Having trouble with your story?' Jason asked, tapping out a soft rhythm to match what Jerry was playing.  
'I've got this character I use quite frequently, Stephie, but I just wrote her with completely the wrong personality. She's not a fragile flower in need of rescue, she's a rough and tumble woman with a big chip on her shoulder and a bit of a problem with men.' I explained, scanning my latest effort quickly. 'I think I can salvage most of it, I just need to tinker with it a bit.'  
'Might I offer some advice?' James asked, shifting on the couch. 'Sometimes it's the fact a character has these weak moments that makes them seem all the more realistic. Allowing Stephie to have this moment where her vulnerability shows will make her more believable and thus, your readers can better relate to her.'  
'I hadn't actually thought of it that way.' I allowed, reading over the piece again as I considered what James had said. 'That would work in the context of the story. She's just suffered a setback in her life so it would be a good time to show that she's human and sometimes needs to let that show.'  
'There ya go, it's not an issue. We're just seeing a different side of this Stephie character.' James chuckled, going back to his music and leaving me to consider how to work his suggestion into my story.  
  
This was something I definitely appreciated about the guys, they understood that sometimes I needed peace and quiet noise to focus on my writing and they were okay wit that, perfectly happy to sit and play quietly or just talk amongst themselves, leaving me along to weave another tale with my words. I can't focus in a totally silent environment, I need some sort of background noise but I find the TV to be a distraction so I rely a lot on music to help me focus on my keyboard. Having the guys right here meant I didn't need my music player, I could simply enjoy whatever it was they were working on.  
  
Getting a new feel for Stephie, I continued to work on her breakdown, working in a lot of my own insecurities and turning her from an infallible woman into someone that felt much more human when I read back over it again. I don't usually worry about too much editing and reworking but something about this particular scene made me want to completely change the direction the story was going in at the moment. I wasn't sure quite where it was going but it was going somewhere interesting.  
  
Settling in again, I continued with the way it was turning and allowed my characters free reign of the story, going where they seemed to want to go as I filled another page. I wasn't used to my characters appearing so vulnerable but there was definitely something to what James had said. I wasn't struggling with it anymore, I had my rhythm back and it was just so easy to get the scene to flow and feel so very natural. I'd been struggling with this story for months but here it was, the missing detail that had been key to finding the flow.  
  
Totally in the zone, I poured through the story, getting the thoughts from my mind onto the pages in front of me, listening to the building song behind me as I continued to work with my established characters and create this new life for them. There were no struggles anymore, this story was going to be great.  
'Is this really what you do with your time, Emily?' Jason asked, adding his own beat to the music unfolding on the couch.  
'Pretty much. There's not a lot here in the way of social activities that interest me and I struggle to make friends so it's just easier for me to stay home and release the wild ideas that are constantly building up in my head.' I shrugged, mostly still focused on the story so I could get it down before the ideas changed again.  
'Come on, turn around and join us. You know our music, we've all heard you sing along.' Jamie coaxed, still playing as he tried to pull me away from my words.  
'This isn't something I can just switch off, Jamie. I need to get this out of my head before it either evolves into something completely different or slips out of my mind completely.' I sighed, crushing down on the urge to turn and join in with a song.  
'But did we really come all this way to look at the back of your head?' Jerry tried, moving to lean on the back of my chair.  
'You're right, I'm in the wrong to focus on my writing while I've got you guys here.' I nodded, looking up at Jerry with a grin as I saved my story. 'So what did you guys want to do?'  
'I feel like taking a walk. Why don't we head down to the forest you mentioned?' Jamie suggested, shoving his hair out of his eyes. 'Or how about a swim? Surely there's a pool or something here.'  
'Yeah, there's a town pool but likely to be fairly busy at this time of year. We could always go down to the river for a swim.' I shrugged, cutting my muted music so the screensaver could kick in.  
'But I didn't pack my swimwear.' James replied, looking up from his drum.  
'So just wear a pair of shorts. We could swing by the department store and see if they've got anything but it's doubtful. There's never a great range of clothes to be had around here.' I offered, determined to make the guys feel at home here. 'But its never a great idea to take a heap of valuables down to the river beach, I've had a few things stolen from me there.'  
'I think I've got an old pair of shorts in my case.' James nodded, getting up and heading through to my bedroom where he'd left his case.  
'If not, I've got something that might fit. Don't panic, it's nothin' girly.' I added, turning to the other guys. 'Anyone disagree with the idea of going for a swim?'  
'Sounds like a great idea.' Jason grinned, getting up and stretching. 'You can get changed in my room if you want, guys.'  
'Don't worry about it. I'll grab mine and change in the bathroom.' I corrected, getting up and shaking out my hair. 'James, you still decent?'  
'Yeah, I'm just looking for my shorts.' James replied, totally unaware of what we'd discussed.

~*~*~*~*~

The beach down by the river was reasonably busy as well but I knew from experience that the town pool would be twice as busy with dozens of screaming kids and showoff teenagers to disturb our peace while the beach would afford us at least some peace since it was so much bigger.  
'Perhaps we should take turns watching over our gear.' Jason suggested, dropping his borrowed towel and kicking off his shoes on the patch of sand we'd picked.  
'That's probably not a stupid idea.' Jamie agreed, working out of his shirt and looking out across the river. 'Anything we should know before going in?'  
'Yeah, there's a few spots to be careful about.' I nodded, tossing my shirt aside and securing my hair in a short tail. 'We've got a few sudden drop-offs into really deep water and there's a spot where the current runs super fast.'  
'Perhaps Emily should stay with the swimming group since she knows the score.' Jerry shrugged, spreading his towel and sitting down. 'I don't mind sitting out for a little while.'  
'Sounds like a plan to me, guys.' I shrugged, making sure my hair was secure. 'I'd suggest you tie your hair right back, James. There are a lot of snags out there and I don't want you getting caught up on anything.'  
'That's a lesson I learned years ago.' James chuckled, twisting his hair up and feeding it into some sort of bag type thing that he tied firmly around the base of his ponytail.  
'Well that's one way to do it.' I grinned, kicking off my shoes and offering out my hands. 'Come on, let's go swimming.'  
  
I couldn't help but laugh at the battle that broke out for my right hand. Jamie had a clear shot at my left, gripping firmly but without crushing as James and Jason both grabbed my right at the same moment and ended up with me slipping their grasp. Reaching out, I grabbed Jason's hand and took off running, relishing this chance to have guys fighting over me for once.  
  
Running into the water, I pulled the guys out to where it was at least waist deep before pulling away and tuning to tackle James into the water. Breaking away and kicking back to the surface, I barely had time to catch my breath before Jamie grabbed me around the waist and threw me back into the water in a tangle of limbs. Shoving free, I waded over to Jason and curled in against his side, sticking my tongue out at the other two as Jason held me close.  
'It's really not nice to pick on our host for the month.' Jason remarked, resting his chin on my forehead. 'She could easily kick you out of the bed, James. And I recall Emily mentioning something about making someone sleep on the floor.'  
'It's all in fun Jason.' I grinned, hooking his ankles and sending us both backwards into the water.  
  
Kicking back to the surface, I laughed and raced away from Jason as he emerged from the water with a growl. Swinging around behind James, I slipped back under the water and kicked away, trusting the murky water would hide what I was doing. Swinging around, I swept wide around James and grabbed the next set of legs I found, twisting and dumping them into the water as I pushed to the surface.  
'Well that was impressive.' James remarked, reaching out to grab Jamie's flailing hand.  
'I thought so.' I laughed, really enjoying this moment to relax with the guys.  
'Hey look, it's those guys from the pub!'  
'Oh shit, here we go.' I groaned, my good mood disappearing in an instant. 'So much for a peaceful afternoon at the beach.'  
'Oh my god, what are they going with that fat cow?'  
'They deserve someone who could show them a really great time.'  
  
Within moments, we were surrounded by at least a dozen skinny women in skimpy bikinis, all trying to drape over the guys and tear them away from my side. Jamie looked positively terrified, dark eyes wide as he tried to get out from the six arms wrapped around him. James wasn't doing much better, twisting like a landed fish in an attempt to break free.  
'And you sluts call me a whore.' I muttered, glancing at Jason for a moment before heading towards Jamie. 'Take your hands off him.'  
'Like we'd listen to you, you're just a fat cow.'  
'Oh that's it! I've had it with you bitches.' I spat, grabbing two of the hands clutching at Jamie's chest and twisting hard. 'Let go and I won't break bones!'  
  
They still refused to let go of Jamie and I knew I had to make this fast if I wanted to stop this from becoming a major situation. Releasing one of the girls, I kept a firm grip on the other and spun, getting my free arm around her throat and pulling tight.  
'Sorry if this hurts Jamie but it's got to be done. These sluts are like leeches, you just gotta pull 'em off.' I offered, tightening my grip and forcing her arm out to the side.  
  
Shifting my feet, I hauled back and tossed the first woman into the water and moved on to the second, throwing her into the murky water just as easily. The third one had completely wrapped around Jamie, moulding to his back as soon as the other two were clear. Grabbing her hair and pulling hard, I braced my other hand on Jamie's shoulder and pushed, smirking as he managed to pry her off and she went into the water as well.  
'You'll pay for that, you bitch.' one of them spat, grabbing my hair and pulling hard.  
'That the best you got?' I snarled, throwing my weight backwards and sending us both into the water again, sending up a big wave of water.  
  
Pulling free, I broke the surface again and moved past Jamie to work on the girls still clinging to James. Making a hasty choice, I didn't try to pull them off one at a time, I just tackled James backwards into the water and pushed the girls away as they tried to find their way back to the surface and get their precious hair and expensive bikinis out of the water.  
'Sorry about that James, but I'm all outta patience with these bitches. Seem to think they can have any man they want.' I shrugged, tucking him close to my side and moving back to Jamie's side.  
'A lot like home really. Some women just can't take a hint.' James sighed, swiping his hair out of his face. 'I'm starting to see why you stay home so much.'  
'Come on, let's go home and get cleaned up. We can relax under the sprinkler on the lawn if you still want to cool off.' I suggested, keeping a firm grip on Jamie and James.  
'Sounds like a plan. Jerry never got a chance to swim.' Jason agreed, shoving back the woman that had tried clinging to his arm as we waded out of the river.  
'Welcome to the dark side of this town.' I sighed, shaking my head slowly.  
'Can we make a side trip to the nearest medical centre?' Jamie asked, drawing my attention to the bloody gouges across his chest. 'This is really starting to burn now.'  
'The hospital will charge big money to treat you but if we go to the chemist and get the supplies, I can patch you guys up at home. I only recently completed my first aid certificate and none of these look too deep so it's an easy patch up. Doubt it'll even scar.' I shrugged, turning to examine the marks on Jamie's chest. 'This one might, it's a little deeper.'

~*~*~*~*~

We settled into a comfortable rhythm over the next couple of weeks, mostly staying at home to avoid the girls who seemed determined to steal James and Jamie away. We still went out for the Friday night gigs at the pub though now we had to make sure to keep James and Jamie back from the edge of the stage to prevent any grabbing. There had been a few attempts but James wasn't afraid to give the reaching hands a sharp crack with the cipín in his right hand. Jamie moved to stand at James' right during the shows and enjoyed the protection of the makeshift weapon so he could better focus on the music.  
  
During the week we stayed at home for most of the time, relaxing on the lawn under the sprinkler or talking through whatever scene I was currently constructing. When it came time to write a bit of fisticuffs, two of the guys would step up and act out the motions so I could see if it would actually work. It was always done in slow motion so there was never any major risks of getting hurt. They even went so far as to go through a couple of full on brawls I'd been toying with, taking the action out onto the back lawn as we figured out what would and wouldn't work.  
  
In the evenings we'd sit and sing, the guys even going so far as to try and teach me how to play at least a few little things on their various instruments. I wasn't much good with strings but found the bodhrán really quite easy once I saw how it was done. We printed out a heap of new songs too, sticking with the ballads and sailing songs they seemed to like, with a few special extras just for the fun of it.  
  
Jamie turned out to be a really good cook, producing things I'd never thought could come from my pokey little kitchen. I did warn him that my oven didn't work very well but he still managed to produce succulent roasts and amazing vegetable dishes without any real effort. James pulled off some really impressive meals as well but Jamie stole the show. There were nights when we just ordered in takeaway, sampling everything from Chinese to pizza and even fish and chips. The guys didn't much like that fish, but they were used to stuff fresh from the ocean so no real surprise there.  
  
Before we even realised it, the month was almost finished and the guys had to head back to their normal lives. None of us wanted to say goodbye, we'd become so close over the last four weeks. They were almost family to me, they cared in ways other people simply didn't and I cherished each one of them as my brothers. I wasn't ready to lose them but we all knew it was time to say goodbye at least temporarily.  
  
I ended up packing an overnight bag and buying five tickets back to Melbourne. I couldn't bear the though of not seeing the guys safely off Australian soil. I spent most of the trip curled up between Jamie and James, making plans for my own trip to America when I had the money and had all my papers organised. Part of me wanted to just say screw it and find a way to sneak aboard their flight but I knew I had to go through the proper channels if I wanted any chance of staying with them.  
  
We spent one last night together, Jason and Jerry sharing one double bed while Jamie, James and I shared the other. It wasn't that I didn't want to share the bed with the others but Jason was an active sleeper and he didn't want to accidentally kick me in his sleep. It actually felt nice to snuggle in against Jamie's side, listening to his soft breathing as I fell asleep.  
  
We woke early the next morning and blearily packed our bags, a dark feeling hanging over all of us as we made sure nothing was forgotten and left the hotel room. No one spoke on the drive to the airport, I ended up dozing on Jerry's shoulder as the taxi wound its way through the early morning traffic to reach the airport.  
  
I stayed with them as much as I could, trying desperately to hold on to the feelings of safety and family that I had around the guys. But eventually we came to the point where I could no longer walk beside them.  
'Don't be sad, Emily. We're just a skype call away.' Jerry uttered, squeezing lightly as he held me close. 'We'll never be out of reach.'  
'I'm going to miss you so much.' I uttered, fighting back tears as I released Jerry slowly.  
'We'll even set up a skype link to every gig so you can be there in your own way.' James promised, running his fingers through my hair lightly.  
'I'd like that. At least then we can pretend we're still together.' I nodded, leaning into his touch lightly. 'Promise me you'll be careful.'  
'We will all be extremely careful, Emily. You have our word on that.' Jason replied, welcoming me into his embrace and resting his chin on my head. 'I'm more concerned about your safety. It's clear this town doesn't much like you.'  
'I can handle myself, as you well know. But I promise I won't go actively searching for trouble. I'll just stick to defending myself when the shit hits the fan.' I sighed, digging my fingers in a little and trying to lock away this moment forever.  
'Come on Emily, just one little smile before we go.' Jamie coaxed, welcoming me in against his chest and cradling my head in one hand. 'I know you can.'  
'I don't want to.' I replied, trying my hardest not to totally fall apart in front of the guys. 'I don't want to say goodbye just yet.'  
'It's never going to be goodbye, only see ya soon.' Jamie corrected, rubbing my back lightly. 'Just one little smile before we go, please.'  
  
Leaning back a little, I somehow managed to drag up a little grin for Jamie. It was a weak effort but he returned it stronger and I knew it was appreciated. It still hurt to know I wasn't going to wake up tomorrow with the guys around me but I could take some comfort in knowing that we would still be in constant contact.  
'That's our flight.' Jerry sighed, picking up his bag and making sure he had his papers.  
'We'll call you when we get home, okay?' James promised, leaning in to kiss my forehead.  
'Be strong Emily, this ain't forever.' Jason added, pressing something into my hand. 'A little something to remember the great times.'  
'See you soon, beautiful girl. Don't let the assholes get ya down.' Jamie grinned, brushing his knuckles over my cheek lightly. 'Don't forget to get in an extra hit for us.'  
'I'll be waiting for your call, guys. And don't worry Jamie, I'll make sure to get in an extra hit for each of ya.' I nodded, my mood lifting a little at their comments as I looked at the folded page in my hand and tucked it safely in my shirt pocket. 'I'll save this for later.'  
  
Watching them walk away, I couldn't stop the tears rolling down my cheeks and when Jason looked back over his shoulder, I caught the glisten of silent sorrow on his cheeks as well. Turning away before I completely broke down, I headed towards the big panoramic windows and looked for their plane, watching it sitting idle on the tarmac as my pseudo-family headed towards it. I probably got a lot of strange looks, standing there with my overnight bag as I wept silently, right hand pressed to the glass and totally fixated on that plane. I didn't notice and I don't really care. I can't be sure how long I stood there for but I stayed rooted to that spot until their plane taxied out of sight, taking my boys far from my physical reach.


	2. Chapter 2

_I said she did invite me, but she gave a flat denial_   
_For assault she did indict me, and I was sent for trial._   
_She swore I robbed the house, in spite of all her screechin'_   
_And I got six months hard, for my coortin' in the kitchen._   
  
_To my toora loora la, my toora loora laddy_   
_Ri toora loora la, ri toora loora laddy._

Smiling softly as he looked up from his banjo, Jamie rolling his shoulders back to ease the tension building in them and turned his attention to the laptop sitting on the table in the corner of the stage. On the screen, he could see Emily smiling as she lifted her mug, offering a silent toast from across the world.  
'Folks, before we go any further, we'd like to offer a very special toast. You see, we've travelled around a lot and met a lot of great people but there's one young lass in particular we'd like to remember. It's been five years since we last got to see her but she's still a dearly treasured friend.' Jason offered, lifting his tankard high.  
'So join us here in a toast to absent friends. For whatever reason we've lost contact.' Jamie added, glancing at the laptop again as he raised his drink.  
'Be they safely up in Heaven or just elsewhere in the world.' Jerry nodded, tankard held high as he looked at the laptop.  
'Let us all pause now for a moment and drink to the memory of absent friends.' James finished, looking into his drink for a few seconds. 'Here's to you Emily!'  
'You lot must need glasses. I'm right feckin' here, lads!' a familiar voice called and it didn't sound at all like the tinny voice from the laptop speakers.  
  
Coughing up the beer he'd inhaled, Jason wiped his mouth and scanned the crowd, looking for the source of that voice. She had to be here somewhere; there was no one someone else could sound that much like her without it actually being her. As he scanned the crowd, Jason spotted movement to the left of the stage and his jaw dropped as Emily appeared out of the shadows around the edge of the room, a changed woman but still clearly recognisable as her.  
'Emily.' Jamie breathed, setting his banjo down and jumping off the stage. 'What happened to you?'  
'It's a long story and here isn't the place to tell it.' she replied, reaching out to pull him into a warm hug. 'After the gig, when we're somewhere private, I'll tell you.'  
'Whatever you want.' Jamie nodded, so very glad to be able to hold Emily in his arms again. 'I've missed you so much.'  
'Likewise Jamie. It's been so hard without you guys around.' Emily agreed, burying her face in his neck. 'I saw the steps up onto the stage, there's no way I can manage them.'  
'Say no more, I've got you.' Jamie chuckled, moving around beside Emily and scooping her up easily. 'Here Jerry, hold Emily for a minute.'  
'I've got you.' Jerry grinned, taking a knee at the edge of the stage and reaching out to take Emily into his arms. 'Welcome to our little corner of the world.'  
'I'd hardly call this little.' Emily replied, kissing his cheek and leaning into him contentedly. 'I can see why you thought my town was tiny.'  
'There's no place like home, right?' Jason nodded, taking Emily's right hand lightly. 'How long you stayin' for?'  
'There's plenty of time to discuss that after the gig. These people have all come to see the Swayin' Jays perform, not to hear us catchin' up.' Emily shrugged, tightening her grip on Jason's hand and tugging him closer. 'We'll talk afterwards.'  
'Sounds like a plan.' Jason agreed, kissing her forehead softly. 'It's so good to see you again.'  
'It's great to be back among you guys.' Emily nodded, gaze drifting over to James as he took her wheelchair from Jamie and set it up on stage.  
  
Hating that she had to put up with this but grateful it gave her a chance to hug the guys without it seeming like she was trying too hard to catch their attention, Emily curled one arm around James' shoulders and eased her weight into his arms. She caught quite a few jealous looks from the women in the audience and grinned, tightening her grip a little.  
'You're enjoyin' this, ain't ya?' James chuckled, stepping over the cables across the stage and easing her down in her chair.  
'What's not to enjoy?' Emily replied, kissing his cheek lightly. 'I'm back with ya, took a bit longer than first planned but I made it.'  
'I still think ya beautiful.' James uttered, stroking her hair for a moment before standing. 'Been keepin' up with what I taught ya?'  
'Course I have. Kept me sane over the last few years.' Emily nodded, shifting her position a little and looking up at him. 'Thinkin' about testin' me are ya?'  
'Figured ya know all the songs so ya might as well join in.' James shrugged, tapping the bag slung on the back of the wheelchair. 'Take it ya got ya own in the bag.'  
'Like I'd go anywhere without it.' Emily scoffed, unhooking the bag with practised ease.  
  
Pulling out her own bodhrán and setting it against her legs, Emily dug out the three cipín she carried and tucked them down beside her thigh before slinging her bag back over behind her and turning to the guys with an expectant look in her eyes. Laughing softly, Jason moved an extra mic and stand over beside her as Jerry handed her a headset much like they were all wearing.  
'Ya sure ya got this, Emily?' Jerry asked, adjusting his own headset quickly.  
'I got this, Jason. I know it's been a few years but I got this.' she replied, securing the headset and peeling off her gloves. 'I've been keepin' up with the new songs.'  
'How about ya show us what ya got instead? We know ya can lead, so show the audience ya belong.' Jason suggested, mostly able to ignore the scowling women in the crowd.  
'Alright then, got a new one I've been workin' on.' Emily grinned, moving the mic stand out of the way and moving forward a bit. 'There's a notebook in my bag, I wrote out the chords to the new songs there.'  
'We'll learn later, this is all for ya to show us ya still got it.' Jason chuckled, moving back a step as Emily came right to the front and locked on her brakes.  
'So be it.' Emily shrugged, adjusting her seat and picking up her bodhrán.  
  
Smiling as Jamie readjusted her mic stand and positioned it to pick up the beat she put out; Emily set her bodhrán back on her leg and picked up one of the cipín beside her. Looking out over the crowd, she started up a slow, soft rhythm, eyes sliding closed as she gave over completely to the music. Slowly the crowd fell silent and Emily lifted her gaze, the words flowing out with such ease.

_Oh, all the money e'er I had, I spent it in good company._   
_And all the harm that ever I've done, alas it was to none but me._   
_And all I've done for want of wit to mem'ry now I can't recall;_   
_So fill to me the parting glass, Good night and joy be with you all._

Recognising the song, Jerry surprised a lot of people when he opened another case at the rear of the stage and pulled out a slightly scuffed violin, starting to play as he moved to stand beside Emily. Looking up and smiling softly, Emily nodded slowly and continued to play, watching the audience as she wove her tale around them.

_If I had money enough to spend, and leisure time to sit awhile._   
_There is a fair maid in this town, that sorely has my heart beguiled._   
_Her rosy cheeks and ruby lips, I own, she has my heart in thrall;_   
_Then fill to me the parting glass, Good night and joy be with you all._

Adding to the sweet sound around them, Jamie started to pluck out the rhythm and Jason added a deeper bass to the steadily growing song. James pulled out a small pipe and started to play, moving to take a knee beside Emily as he played along with her. To each of them, this was a precious moment shared between friends.

_Oh, all the comrades e'er I had, they're sorry for my going away._   
_And all the sweethearts e'er I had, they'd wished me one more day to stay._   
_But since it falls unto my lot, that I should rise and you should not,_   
_I gently rise and softly call, Goodnight and joy be with you all._   
_Goodnight and joy be with you all._

Resting his hand on Emily's shoulder as the song faded away, Jason grinned and brushed her cheek with one fingertip, the touch holding so much promise. Grabbing the mic stand and setting it on her feet, the mic tucked over her shoulder, Emily unlocked her brakes and moved back again, opening up the stage to the guys as she reset her position further back.  
'Oh no ya don't, ya stay up here with us.' Jamie corrected, pointing to the open area beside him.  
'Alright, alright. Sheesh, anyone would think ya scared I'll vanish again.' Emily remarked, pulling up beside him and locking off her brakes.  
'Five years, Emily. Enough said.' Jerry shrugged, looking down at her with sad eyes.  
'Come on, we're here to play, not reminisce.' Jason chuckled, starting up another rhythm and putting an end to the conversation for now.

~*~*~*~*~

Their gear all packed in the van and under guard, the reunited friends returned to the bar and were quickly ushered through to a private room where they could drink and relax without being disturbed. There was a little bit of a step up into the room, James offered to carry Emily through but before he'd finished speaking, she'd already slipped through the door with confidence.  
'Doors are easy, stairs are the real problem.' she grinned, pulling up beside one of the couches and transferring across. 'Good time to take a load off my butt.'  
'Of all the things you could have said.' Jerry sniggered, sinking down on another couch.  
'What, it's a medical necessity. I have to spend plenty of time off my butt to avoid pressure sores and months laid up in bed on my stomach.' Emily shrugged, rolling over a bit and getting comfortable.  
'It's true; my Uncle was in a wheelchair and had a lot of trouble with nasty sores on his butt.' Jamie nodded, plopping down with a grateful sigh. 'Ohh, that's heaven.'  
'Another round, Emily?' Jason asked, waiting by the door as James sunk down to rest.  
'Yeah, I can go one more.' she nodded, pushing her chair out of the way.  
'And something to eat. I'm starving.' James added, sprawled out and in no hurry to move.  
  
Returning with a tray of drinks and another loaded with hot food, Jason set them both on the table between the couches and dropped down beside Jamie, grateful for this chance to rest before they had to hit the road again.  
'Where are we headed next?' James asked, reaching for one of the plates of fries on the table.  
'We've got a couple days off then we're on for Ren Fair 6.' Jason replied, staring up at the ceiling as he spoke. 'You know what that means.'  
'Yeah, get ready to be hassled again.' Jerry groaned, grabbing his drink and sagging back.  
'Oh jeez, if I knew it was gonna be such a downer, I would have headed home.' Emily smirked, bracing her weight and grabbing a plate of fries and her drink.  
'You right there, Emily?' Jamie questioned, half out of his seat.  
'Nothing to it.' she grinned, settling back with her snack and drink. 'I've learned a lot over the last few years about daily life as a para.'  
'So what happened to you Emily?' James asked, starting to eat as he looked over to Emily.  
  
Getting comfortable and setting her meal in easy reach, Emily sighed softly and looked into her drink for a moment, not fully comfortable with remembering the day her life had been turned upside down so quickly.  
'You guys remember that asshole Bradley?' she asked, sipping her drink and looking around the room. 'He tried it again a couple months after you guys headed home. I gave him yet another stunning beat down but this time he had a surprise for me when I turned away. Bastard managed to get up and sink a knife in my back.'  
'He did what?' James growled, sitting up and putting his drink down. 'He's goin' down for that.'  
'He's already payin' for it, there's nothing more you can do James.' Emily shrugged, chewing slowly as she reached down to rearrange her legs. 'He's doin' serious time on multiple charges, including attempted murder and multiple drug charges. Won't be out for at least fifteen years. Longer if I've got anything to say about it.'  
'That's it? You've got a life confined to a chair and he's free in fifteen years? Hardly seems fair if you ask me, Emily.' Jason sighed, shaking his head slowly.  
'Perhaps not, but I sued him and his family for my medical costs, loss of income and compensation. Michael hired me on to work four nights a week at the pub but I couldn't keep working there while confined to a wheelchair.' Emily explained, sipping her beer and settling back against the cushions behind her. 'The amount the judge decided on was more than the family could afford. They'll be making monthly payments to me for the next thirty years. If they miss a payment, they whole family ends up in serious trouble.'  
'Now that's sticking it to the assholes.' Jason chuckled, lifting his drink in a toast. 'Though I am surprised that you were able to come over here while still being paid compensation.'  
'I spoke to the judge and got a court approval to move to America to be closer to family and some of the worlds best spinal rehab centres.' Emily nodded, a sly little grin across her face. 'He was quite surprised when I told him I had four brothers over here.'  
'Four…oh, you cheeky little shit.' Jerry laughed, shaking his head slowly. 'He didn't ask for proof regarding your brothers?'  
'Nope, a photo of us together was enough to convince him I was better off over here.' she grinned, enjoying the fries that had been so generously provided. 'These are seriously good.'  
'So does that mean you're here for good?' James asked, finishing off his fries and putting the plate on the table.  
'Yup. Traded my Australian citizenship for American as soon as I could and made the trip across to settle over here instead.' Emily confirmed, watching the joy light up in the eyes of her dearest friends. 'Even got my most treasured belongings shipped over to decorate my new apartment.'  
  
Now the guys were getting excited, their exhaustion forgotten now that they knew they wouldn't have to face another painful goodbye. Emily was now going to be a permanent part of their lives and no one would be able to tear her away from them again.  
'So, does this mean we can convince you to join us on a more permanent basis?' Jerry asked, scratching at his beard quickly.  
'Aw hell, I don't know about that Jerry. I've still got doctor's appointments and I have to go to the rehab centre every couple of months to let them assess my progress and see what new products are available to make my life that little easier.' Emily sighed, flicking her hair back over her shoulder quickly. 'I hadn't even considered that you guys might want me around full time.'  
'Of course we want you around full time Emily. You're part of this crazy family, we'll just have to work out a story to cover your entrance into our gigs.' Jason replied, a thoughtful look in his eyes.  
'What about as a mermaid? Would explain why she just sits there looking absolutely beautiful.' Jerry suggested, earning stunned looks from James and Jamie.  
'Let me guess, you two were thinkin' the same thing.' Emily laughed, shaking her head slowly.  
'It's a tempting mental picture.' James admitted, cheeks flaring red as he turned his attention back to Emily. 'You are beautiful, why not show off a little?'  
'We know of a couple that makes realistic costumes for the many fairs and festivals around the area. They'd have no trouble making a great mermaid tail.' Jamie added, smiling softly as he gazed at Emily. 'They might even be able to put in something so you can flick your tail as you're sitting there in your pool.'  
'Now hold on, I see two problems right now. First, Emily hasn't said yes. Second, we can't have water around our equipment.' Jason growled, worried about pushing Emily too hard and chasing her away accidentally.  
'Of course I'll stay on, so long as you guys can accept that there are times I won't be able to join you due to medical reasons.' Emily chuckled, stretching out to put her mug and plate on the table.  
'We get it Emily and we'll do our best to work around your needs. Once it's announced that you're officially joining us, those who hire us will come to understand that your health has to be our top priority.' Jason nodded, covering a yawn quickly. 'Who was meant to be driving the van tonight?'  
'I was but I'm in no fit state.' Jamie replied, rubbing his eyes and covering a yawn. 'Even if I hadn't had that last beer, I'm about ready to fall asleep right now.'  
'You could always crash at my place for the night. I'm only a couple blocks from here.' Emily offered, reaching over the arm of the couch to grab her gloves from the side pocket. 'It's only a rental at the moment, I haven't found the right place to buy just yet.'  
'You sure Emily? It's a real kind offer but we don't want to be a hindrance to you.' Jerry worried, glancing at her chair for a second.  
'So long as the bathroom is free at 0730 tomorrow morning and I can get out onto the patio, there's no hindrance. I don't have a car so you can even bring the van and sleep easy knowing it's locked away safely in my garage.' Emily replied, bringing her chair around and transferring across smoothly. 'Don't think you have to tread light around me now, I'm still the same girl you knew before I was injured.'

~*~*~*~*~

Emily ended up moving in with the guys, making her own space in the converted warehouse space they used as a home, studio and so much  more all rolled into one. To start with, she made her home in one corner of the downstairs area but the guys seemed to think that wasn't good enough for her and came together to build a new bedroom on the mezzanine level. They even paid for a new elevator to be installed so she could access it.  
  
After the first couple of weeks, it became almost impossible to tell that Emily hadn't always been a key part of the family and team living here together. Her collection of dragons were all scattered around the main living area, mixed up with ornamental knives, autographed sporting memorabilia, model planes and video game action figures. Books, CDs, DVDs and video games were in some sort of order but there was no clear definition between who owned what in the collections. There were absolutely no chick-flicks in the DVD racks and only a couple of romance novels on the shelves, furthering the blend of Emily into the family.  
  
Everything had been reorganised to make life as easy as possible for Emily, opening up narrow passages and ensuring that she could get through to every part of the warehouse. They'd also rearranged the kitchen a bit, putting the frequently used stuff down low so she could reach without needing to ask for help. An extra couch had been added to the living room too, giving her a place to stretch out and take the weight off her butt for a few hours each day.  
  
Finding her own ways to thank the guys for opening their home to her, Emily would spend her days helping Jason with the running of the band, learning their calendar and wrapping her mind around their schedule of different performances. She also had to consider the various work schedules of the other three, just in case anyone wanted to hire them on for a special show. It really was no wonder Jason sometimes seemed a bit stressed, there was a lot to consider when running a band.  
  
But with everything else she was doing, Emily still found time to keep up with her writing, producing a couple of chapters every week and getting them out for the world to enjoy. Constantly surrounded by new inspirations, she'd gone from writing falsity and sci-fi to producing historical fictions about a family of seafarers and all the struggles they faced just to stay together. She'd had a few readers ask about her unfinished works but Emily just apologised to them and explained that her muses had taken her in a different direction.  
  
The first gig they'd done with Emily among them, now that had been an incredible thing to witness. Her automated tail wasn't ready so instead she wore a plain tail and relaxed on a pile of beach sand, her delicate skin protected by a series of misters spraying water over her. Her position was such that she could still wear her headset and sing along with the guys, she could even play her bodhrán without getting it wet. The children at the fair could come up and sit on the sand with her, touching her skin and taking photos with her so they could always remember the day they met a real mermaid upon the sandy beach.  
  
That week long festival had really opened Emily's eyes to just how crazy the guys could be when given a real chance to open up and have fun. At the end of each day, the guys would gather Emily from the sand and carry her away to the crystal clear lake at the heart of the festival grounds. Wading out into the water, they provided stabilising hands as she washed the sand off her skin and out from under her tail, splashing playfully as they unwound from each day. Working together, they got her out of her tail and washed off her legs before wading out of the water and setting her in her waiting wheelchair.

~*~*~*~*~

'hey Emily, what're ya doin' for Thanksgiving?' Jason asked, leaning on the back of the couch and looking down at her.  
'Hadn't really thought about it. It's not a holiday we celebrate in Australia so I don't really know what's considered acceptable or even what it's all about.' Emily shrugged, glancing away from the screen for a second. 'Ya gonna die Jamie!'  
'Where the fuck did that come from?' James yelped, staring in shock at the blood soaked, gory mess that had been his onscreen character. 'Who the fuck did that?'  
'Holy shit! Where the fuck did you spring from?' Jamie yelped, back-pedalling his character as fast as he could before he too was turned into a gory mess on the walls of the virtual world.  
'It's a time to be thankful for all that we have. Originally I think it had something to do with the pilgrims that first came over from England way back when but it's become really commercialised.' Jerry explained, looking up from the book he was reading.  
'Oh, well I know I've got a lot to be thankful for.' Emily nodded, not looking away from the screen as she spoke. 'Eat shit, fuckers!'  
'Fuck! You are vicious at this, Emily.' James groaned, shaking his head slowly as his part of the screen reloaded yet again.  
'I had a lot of time to practise. Spent a lot of time flat on my back, unable to even sit up until the doctors were certain my spine was healed around the stabilising struts they inserted. I had a TV above my bed and spent a shitload of time playing video games to pass the time.' Emily shrugged, stretching out her hands quickly. 'I see you Jamie.'  
'Ah-ha, got you Emily!' Jamie crowed, punching the air as Emily's screen reloaded.  
'You know she's going to make…never mind.' Jason sniggered, watching as Jamie's character was sent flying off the half destroyed building he was standing on. 'Ouch, that's gotta be at least six floors straight down.'  
'Nine, I counted them as I climbed up to that perch.' Jamie sighed, scrubbing one hand through his hair. 'And it was a pain in the ass just getting up there.'  
'Hell of a sniper nest, I'll have to remember it.' Emily winked, shifting her position and sending her little character running off again. 'What are you guys plannin' for Thanksgiving anyway?'  
'I'll probably stay here, I've got no desire to go back to my parents and hear them berate all my choices.' James shrugged, plunging back into the game. 'Get a haircut! Get a real job! We didn't pay for you to go to college to play music!'  
'Trade ya families?' Jason asked, coming around to drop down beside Jamie. 'No desert for you, ya still too fat. Get out of the alcohol, it'll make you even fatter.'  
'Be glad you guys still have families to berate and insult you.' Jamie remarked, pausing his section of the game. 'Ain't much fun spendin' the holidays around a cemetery.'  
'Sounds like we're havin' another Thanksgiving here in the warehouse.' Jerry nodded, uncurling his legs and standing. 'I'll head out and start doing some shopping then.'  
'Want some company?' Emily asked, pausing her game and turning to Jerry. 'I need to get out of here for a little while.'  
'It's always nice to have company on these trips.' Jerry shrugged, grabbing a different shirt from where he'd left it drying earlier. 'So if anyone wants anything special, now's the time to get it on the shopping list.'  
  
Swinging back into her wheelchair and neatening up her pants with practised ease, Emily pulled on her shoes and laced them up firmly, making sure she looked presentable and was protecting her feet from any potential hazards. Slipping on a light jacket and checking her wallet and keys were still in the pouch slung under her chair, Emily grabbed her phone from the table and tucked it in her pocket as she turned towards Jerry.  
'Ready to go?' she asked, adjusting the way her jacket was sitting around her waist.  
'Come on, we'll take the van.' Jerry nodded, tapping the button to open the garage doors. 'Last call for the shopping list.'  
'Sounds like a plan.' Emily chuckled, heading for the van with a roll of her shoulders.  
'You can even drive.' Jerry added, waiting as Jamie added a couple extra things to the shopping list.  
'With pleasure.' Emily grinned, adjusting her course. 'Jason, could you grab my hand controls from the SUV please?'  
'You got it Emily.' Jason nodded, jogging over to the SUV parked on the far side of the van.  
  
Swinging up into the driver's seat of the van, Emily quickly broke her wheelchair down and tucked it in the cargo nets behind the seats. Shifting on the seat and readjusting it to suit her, she accepted the controls from Jason and leant down to attach them to the brake and accelerator pedals, making sure they were locked in firmly to prevent any slipping during use.  
'All set?' Jerry asked, swinging up beside her.  
'Let's hit the road.' Emily nodded, checking the mirrors and backing out smoothly.  
  
So much more confident with her driving skills now, she easily blended into the traffic and settled into the flow, humming softly as she headed towards the main shopping district. This was something she never would have dreamed of doing had she still been back in Australia but here, the guys were constantly encouraging her to try new things and grow into new abilities whenever she had the chance.

~*~*~*~*~

Grateful to be back out in the fresh country air, soaking up the atmosphere of the annual pirate fest in their region, Jason smiled softly and guided his gang through the early morning gathering of performers, heading towards their assigned stage at the heart of the festival grounds. For a change of pace, Emily had decided not to wear her fancy mermaid tail and instead wore ragged pants and a stained grey shirt under a blue vest, a brown tricorne jammed down over her loose hair to finish her outfit. Sure, it wasn't totally accurate to have a pirate in a fancy new wheelchair but that was hardly the most inaccurate thing at these events.  
  
Approaching their stage, Jason's smile faded as another group of men in piratical dress came towards them, decidedly unfriendly looks on their faces. Refusing to get drawn into a confrontation while they were still carrying their equipment, Jason barely even glanced at the other group and continued towards their stage. He could feel the hard eyes of the other band members driving into his back, saying all the things that they would never dare say while he was facing them.  
'So that's the story. Ya so pathetic ya gotta get a girl who can't run away from ya?' one of them jeered, earning a snarl from Emily and a deadly look from James.  
'Go swim in cement, Michael!' Jamie spat, his temper rising at the implications of what was said.  
'Oh-ho, the little dog barks at last.' another laughed, shoving up his sleeves. 'Come on then, I'll take ya on, ya little wimp.'  
'At least these guys know how to treat a lady right.' Emily shrugged, pushing towards the stage and setting down her bags safely. 'Unlike you dirty little muckworms.'  
'Well look at that, their whore actually speaks.' the third grinned, approaching Emily and grabbing his crotch. 'How much for a blowjob, honey?'  
  
Her temper fully roused now, Emily put a lot more power to her wheels and closed the distance quickly, launching out of her chair with a heave of her shoulders. Driving the heavyset man over backwards, she crushed him to the ground and proceeded to unleash hell upon his face.  
'Hey, call your whore off!'  
'And risk the flogging he's getting? I don't fuckin' think so Michael.' Jason laughed, crossing his arms and watching Emily pummel the man under her. 'This is what happens when ya stir the Irish fire within her breast. She won't stop until she's exhausted.'  
'C'mon man, we gotta perform today just like you.'  
'Shoulda thought of that before ya started talkin' shit.' Jamie shrugged, righting Emily's wheelchair and leaning on the back lightly.  
'It was a loudmouthed asshole that put her in the chair so it's no surprise she reacted badly.' James added, watching Emily as she sat back and looked down at the bloody mess she'd made. 'All done with him, Emily?'  
'Yeah, I'm done. He won't be forgettin' that lesson any time soon.' Emily nodded, wiping her bloodied hands on his shirt and looking around for her chair.  
'Come on then, up ya come.' Jerry grinned, catching Emily when she slid off her latest victim.  
'I can do this for myself Jerry. I have to keep in practise with transfers.' Emily chuckled, landing safely on the ground and smiling as Jamie pushed her chair closer.  
  
Transferring up and getting settled, Emily nodded and moved back, turning to her friends as the other band gathered around their battered companion and carefully sat him up. Wiping the last of the blood onto her shirt to further her pirate persona, she turned back to the trio and smirked, not bothered by the blood on her face.  
'Next time, don't go stirrin' up trouble ya can't handle. I survived bein' stabbed in the back with a seven inch blade, ya ain't shit. Think before ya open ya mouth, might save ya another beatin' by a woman who is tired of men thinkin' they're all that. The last guy who called me a whore is servin' life behind bars and his family is payin' my medical bills for the rest of my life.' Emily warned, spitting on the ground beside the trio.  
'We understand Ma'am. We'll make sure Seán gets the message again once he's recovered from the beating.' Michael nodded, brilliant blue eyes wide as he looked at Emily.  
'Good. Now I don't wanna hear that ya causin' any grief for these guys either. They're my family and I will defend them til my last breath. Start shit with them and I'll finish it, permanently if I have to.' Emily continued, slipping her hat off and running her fingers through her hair.  
'Emily, now that's uncalled for.' Jason warned, disturbed by the implications of her words.  
'Not like that. I was merely considering how much use a guitar player might be after I shatter all of his fingers.' Emily shrugged, flashing him a grin and heading back towards their stage. 'Come on, we should get set up before the gates open!'  
'Better luck next time, Michael.' Jason nodded, turning and walking away. 'Come on guys, it's time to make some money.'  
'Damn you to hell, O'Connell. We needed this money just to survive.' Michael sighed, helping his beaten band-mate to his feet. 'Without this income, we'll be sleepin' in the van by next week.'  
'Things are rough all over. We're down to one permanent income aside from what we earn playin'.' Jason shrugged, turning back to the other group. 'So don't be sellin' me no sob story.'  
'At least you've got one other income. We've got nothing.' Michael tried, bracing Seán against his side to keep him on his feet. 'Come on, lend us a hand?'  
'Let me talk to the band, we'll see what can be organised.' Jason nodded, turning again and jogging over to the stage.  
  
Talking it over quietly, the five friends came to an agreement and sent Jerry to give their offer to the other guys so Jason could get set up and ready for the show. The deal was simple enough really; so long as Michael and Duncan gave their best and added a good sound to each show over the course of the four-day festival, they would walk away with a quarter of the takings. They would even allow Seán to make use of the soft mattress Emily had put behind the stage to rest on in between shows.

~*~*~*~*~

Grateful for the day off from work and music, James headed up to their rooftop terrace, looking forward to a little quiet time away from the rest of the band. He treasured his band-mates, they were all great friends but sometimes he needed some time away from them and away from the fame they'd built together. That was fairly much impossible, everyone around here knew them.  
  
Looking up from the books in front of him, Jamie sighed softly and tapped his pen against his teeth as he went back to his study. In between gigs and all the travelling they did, he often found it hard to get his studying done, so he'd come up here in the hopes of putting a dent in the massive pile of coursework that he'd been neglecting.  
'Hope I'm not disturbing ya.' James uttered, sinking down on the daybed they had up here.  
'nah, I'm just havin' trouble.' Jamie shrugged, tossing his pen aside. 'I get why ya thought this was a good idea but it's harder than I expected.'  
'I know it's hard, but it'll be worth it in the end, Jamie.' James nodded, moving around to sit beside Jamie and looking over his open books. 'Show me what's got you really stuck and we'll go through it together.'  
'How about I show you what makes sense? It'll take less time.' Jamie groaned, fingers latched into his hair in frustration.  
  
Shuffling closer to Jamie and tucking him in against his side, James picked up one of the textbooks on the table and set it on his lap, scanning the page quickly. Sure enough, Jamie burrowed in against his side contentedly and gazed at the book, trying his hardest to wrap his mind around the complex ideas within the book.  
'Oh, so you're happy to study this complex stuff so long as I'm here with ya.' James smirked, squeezing Jamie lightly as he looked up from the book.  
'You at least know how to explain so I understand.' Jamie shrugged, snuggling closer and reaching out to point out something he didn't get. 'I keep getting stuck on these.'  
'So don't look at it as a whole. Break it down into easier to manage pieces. This one for example, I'd break it down and work on this bit, then this section and finally this part. Once you've got all three pieces, you can put it all together and get the answer.' James explained, grabbing the pencil off the table and visually breaking down the equation into easier to manage bits.  
'Ahh, now I get it.' Jamie nodded, grabbing his workbook and writing out the three separate equations and solving them then adding up the three answers to get the final solution. 'Like that?'  
'There you go, now you're getting it.' James praised, squeezing Jamie close for a moment. 'Okay, now go ahead and do the next three on your own.'  
  
Not really bothered that he was now Jamie's study pillow, James kept one eye on what he was doing and relaxed back against the cushions. This wasn't exactly what he'd been looking for when he'd come up here but it was close enough. He didn't mind spending time teaching Jamie, it was actually a great way to lock the lessons away in his own mind. Granted, Jamie's coursework was roughly three years behind his own but the practise wasn't a bad thing.  
'I think I'm getting the hang of this now.' Jamie grinned, looking up from his equations again.  
'Let's have a look here.' James nodded, taking Jamie's workbook and scanning over the page quickly, searching out any miscalculations. 'See, I told you it was doable. All you had to do was believe.'  
'Didn't hurt that you were here to give me a boost.' Jamie shrugged, accepting his workbook back and turning his attention back to the textbook. 'You got the time to help me with a bit more of this?'  
'Of course.' James nodded, pulling back a little. 'But how about we get more comfortable first.'  
  
Getting comfortable ended up with James settled in the corner of the couch, Jamie sitting between his thighs and relaxing back against him as they discussed the coursework. To most people, it probably seemed an awkward way to work but for James and Jamie, this was a fairly normal thing for them. James braced the textbook on their left knees as Jamie leant against their right knees to work on the calculations.  
'If I can fit it in, I've been thinking about heading back to the classroom.' Jamie remarked, working through another set of equations.  
'With part time work and the way the band is going at the moment, there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to fit in at least three classes a week.' James nodded, tapping at the equations with the pencil. 'Check your work. You'll find a minor error in that last calculation.'  
'Huh? I don't…oh, right. I see where I got it wrong.' Jamie replied, making the necessary corrections. 'Better?'  
'Much better. You've got this, you just need to focus and work through it slowly.' James coaxed, enjoying this chance to relax with Jamie and forget about the constant stresses of their lives.

~*~*~*~*~

_Walk away me boy_   
_Walk away me boys_   
_And by morning we'll be free_   
_Wipe that golden tear_   
_From your mother dear_   
_And raise what's left_   
_Of the flag for me_

Putting his bodhrán aside and checking he had his special surprise, James moved forward and placed one hand on Emily's shoulder, stopping her from moving back to open up the stage to him.  
'Just before we say our goodbyes to this audience, I've got somethin' I want to ask ya, Emily. This is somethin' I've been wantin' to ask ya for some time now but I kept gettin' nervy and couldn't do it. I'm ready now, it's time this was said.' he started, turning her chair to him and sinking to one knee.  
  
Glancing at the audience as they fell silent, Emily adjusted her seat and turned her full attention back to James, eyes widening in disbelief as she saw the box in his hands. There was no way this was happening, this was the sort of thing that happened in her stories not real life. James had to be making a joke at her expense, there was nothing else it could mean.  
'Emily, I don't have a lot to me name but would ya do me the honour of becomin' my wedded wife?' James asked, opening the box to reveal a very plain gold ring with four small diamonds clustered to make a four-leaf clover and a fifth diamond nestled on top of them.  
  
Standing back and watching the pair as Emily cupped her hand under James' and looked out towards the audience, Jamie lowered his banjo and secretly crossed his fingers, hoping for a good outcome. James had mentioned his plans to him a few weeks ago and shown him the ring, the result of many months of scrimping and saving every last dollar he could spare. He'd even gone so far as to get a matching chain in case Emily didn't want to wear the ring on her finger.  
  
Swallowing quickly as he waited for a response, James looked up at Emily and flashed a grin, refusing to show just how nervous he was in this moment. The silence was killing him, he just wanted an answer one way or the other. Her usually vibrant eyes were clouded with doubt, almost as though she didn't know if he was being serious. All he could do was project confidence and surety in his choice and hope she got the message.  
  
Picking up on the tension and realising that Emily had no clue how to respond, Jason moved around behind her and crouched, leaning over to whisper in her ear. James had confided in him about his plans to propose to Emily and asked his guidance on the subject. Now Jason put that knowledge to good use, quietly reassuring Emily that this was not some new part of their show. James meant this and would do anything it took to prove that to her.  
  
Staring at Jason for a moment with wide, disbelieving eyes, Emily nodded slowly and reached out to gently cup James' cheek in her hand, lifting his gaze back to her face. His normally bright eyes were dark with regret and sorrow, lips down-turned as he stared resolutely at her knees.  
'Ya know my story James, ya know I've been hurt and left broken by men before. It takes a lot for me to trust anyone now, especially with matters of my heart. But I trust ya, James O'Malley, I trust ya with my body, my heart and my love.' Emily offered, stroking his cheek lightly. 'I would like nothing more than to have ya as my lovin' husband.'  
'Ya will always be safe with me, Emily.' James promised, slipping the ring onto her finger and leaning in to steal a kiss as the crowd burst into cheers and applause for them.  
  
Raising his tankard as he moved forward, Jerry placed one hand lightly on Emily's shoulder and looked out across the crowd, the warmest smile on his face as he turned his gaze to the new couple.  
'Well then, let's have a toast to our newly engaged friends!' he offered, attention going back to the crowd. 'May you be poor in misfortune, and rich in blessings.'  
'Slow to make enemies, and quick to make friends.' Jason added, raising his drink and placing one hand on James' shoulder.  
'And may you know nothing but happiness from this day forward!' Jamie finished, lifting his tankard high and smiling softly at his friends. 'Sláinte!'  
'Aw heck, ya too much sometimes, guys.' Emily flushed, accepting her drink from Jason and drinking deep. 'Ya could at least save the marriage toasts for after we've tied that knot.'  
'Now why would we do that?' Jerry asked, squeezing her shoulder gently as the crowd drank to the new couple. 'Ya both real special to us, only right we celebrate in style.'

~*~*~*~*~

'Oh my god! Oh my god! Look, it's Jamie from the Swayin' Jays!' an over excited female voice cried, dragging him from his studies with a heartfelt groan. This was exactly why he didn't want to return to this adult college to finish his degree. He was too well known to be able to blend in with the rest of the students.  
  
Before he could even think of a suitable response to the woman that had called him out, Jamie was completely surrounded by people scrambling for his attention. They were shoving CDs and books at him, everyone talking at once as they tried to get him to look at them. So many of them were asking for autographs or tickets of their shows, it was all one cacophonous noise in his ears.  
'Everyone just back the fuck off.' Jamie growled, shoving his books and stationary back into his bag quickly. 'Unlike some people, I don't see the point in putting on a show all the time. I'm not here to sign autographs or take photos with people, I'm here to study and that's what I intend to do.'  
'I could be your study buddy.' one of the girls offered, fluttering her eyelashes at him.  
'Ugh, I'll pass.' Jamie replied, pushing his chair back and getting to his feet. 'I find your perfume extremely offensive.'  
'How dare you!' she snarled, raising one hand to strike him.  
'Try it lady, I've got a friend who would love to test out his new law degree.' Jamie warned, shouldering his bag and pushing through the group. 'Bunch of bloodthirsty fuckin' vultures.'  
  
Stalking out of the library and ignoring the calls of the other people for him to wait, Jamie broke into a steady jog, darting between the buildings to hide his location from his fans. Slowing once he was well clear of the library, Jamie sighed and sunk back against the wall of the class block he was hidden behind, trying to think of a spot where he could be safe from all those who wanted a piece of his fame.  
'Rough day, Jamie?' tensing for a moment, Jamie relaxed as he recognised the voice. 'Man, ya look like hell.'  
'How the fuck do you put up with people? I was just trying to get some study done in the library and got slammed by fans demanding autographs, photos and tickets to our shows.' Jamie sighed, turning his tired gaze to James.  
'I should have warned you about them, sorry.' James offered, slipping one arm around Jamie's shoulders. 'You handled it as best you could.'  
'How did you handle it?' Jamie asked, relaxing into James' side.  
'The ring Emily gave me helps a bit but there's one trick that I found to be really successful.' James grinned, guiding Jamie away from his hiding spot and over towards the food court. 'How's ya Irish Gaelic? I know ya speak a little but ya need to be fairly fluent for this to work.'  
'I wouldn't worry about that, James.' Jamie winked, so glad James was around to guide him through this. 'Jerry ag múineadh dom go leor.'  
'Well, the next time the fans start causin' trouble, just switch gears and use ya Gaelic. Shout it if ya have to, just make it as annoyin' as possible for 'em and they'll get sick of it. If I hear ya, ya can be sure I'll come running and strike a conversation just to add to their irritation.' James laughed, ruffling Jamie's hair quickly. 'Come on, let's get some lunch.'  
'Sounds like a plan.' Jamie agreed, not really worried about any rumours starting up about him being  so close with James. If anything started, they'd deal with it as a group and show the world that they were unbreakable.

~*~*~*~*~

Crushing down on the nerves that had been building all morning, James straightened his hat and approached the bench where Jamie stood guard over Emily, one hand resting on the pistol tucked through his belt and the other gripping her shoulder firmly.  
'Ready to do this?' James asked, caressing her cheek lightly.  
'Ready as I'll ever be.' Emily nodded, leaning into his touch. 'Not so sure about my undignified entrance but I'll take what I can get.'  
'It could always be worse. Ya know I'll take care of ya.' James promised, crouching and guiding Emily over his shoulder. 'This is only for a few minutes, you know that.'  
'I know, doesn't make it feel any less embarrassing. I'm going butt first to my own wedding.' Emily sighed, draping over James' back and grabbing his belt for stability.  
'At least ya ain't bein' dragged kickin' and screamin' to it.' Jamie shrugged, helping James back to his feet and making sure Emily was comfortable. 'Ya good?'  
'Yeah, let's do this.' Emily nodded, lifting her head a little. 'Assward to my wedding!'  
'Keep that up and I'll drop ya.' James warned, fighting down an untimely case of the giggles. 'Ya meant to be reluctant. Ya my prize from battle, act it.'  
'I'll not risk bruisin' ya kidneys punchin' ya back.' Emily replied, digging her nails into his back for a moment. 'Let's just get this over with. I'm gettin' a headache hangin' like this.'  
'Alright, we'll only be a few minutes.' James nodded, patting her back lightly. 'Come along wench, ya mine now.'  
  
Standing just behind and to the left to the celebrant, Jason kept the camera steady even though he was fighting back giggles as James entered the tavern, his bride thrown over his shoulder and stains on his clothes.  
'Heard there was someone here performin' weddin' ceremonies. I've got me bonny lassie here and we're ready to be man and wife.' James declared, looking around the room slowly. 'Well, where is this weddin' person?'  
'That would be me, good sir.' the celebrant replied, stepping forward slowly. 'Perhaps you could put your bonny lass down here so I can meet her.'  
'Don't ya even think of runnin', ya hear?' James warned, gently depositing Emily in the chair the celebrant had pointed towards.  
'Jaysus, I've been in ya clutches fer six weeks. If I ain't run yet, I ain't gonna.' Emily replied, smoothing out her hair quickly. 'He might be a little coarse but I do love him.'  
'Only six weeks? Are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this?' the celebrant asked, playing along with the plan for this ceremony.  
'Look, I said we wanna get married so get on with it.' James insisted, straightening his vest and hat quickly. 'She loves me and I care about her.'  
'Very well. You come and sit here beside your dear lady.' the celebrant guided, stepping back as James settled beside Emily and reached out to take her hand. 'Do you have rings?'  
'Jamie, get up here with them rings.' James called, looking around for the younger man. 'Ya better not have lost 'em.'  
'I got 'em right here.' Jamie replied, hurrying forward and slipping a heavy gold chain from around his neck. 'See, I kept 'em safe as promised.'  
  
Accepting the two gold bands, the celebrant nodded and closed her hand around them as she turned back to the happy couple. Now was the time to really step up and have some fun with this little gig.  
'Okay, you want a fast wedding. I can do fast weddings.' she nodded, casting her gaze around the gathering. 'Anyone here object to this union? Anyone at all.'  
'I…no, go right ahead.' a young man started but quickly changed his tune when Jerry trod on his foot sharply.  
'James, have you something special to say to your bride?' she continued, gaze dropping back to the happy couple.  
'I take ya as me heart, me good wench with a stout right hook, the bright dawn of each new day and the soft bed of each dark night. I promise to love ya and honour ya, to make ya laugh when ya down and hold ya when ya need it. I will love ya in  wealth and in poverty, whether ya near or far from me side. And when I speak of treasure, as I am wont to do, everyone within the sound of me voice will know that what I am really speaking about is you. All of this will I undertake until there are no horizons left to chase and the rum is gone.' James declared, taking the smaller ring from the celebrant and slipping it on Emily's finger.  
'Emily, have you something to say to your new husband?' the celebrant nodded, really getting into this now.  
'James, I will never strike me colours for another man. All plunder will be evenly divided between us. I'll never maroon you on a desert island. I promise to give blood and thunder till the very end.. I won't let you hang in chains. I will be your Lady of fortune as long as I draw breath.' Emily offered, taking the second ring and working it onto James' hand.  
'With the exchanging of vows and rings, I declare you pirate and wench. You may kiss your bride.'  
  
Making sure to capture all the key moments of this ceremony, Jerry moved around to a better angle to capture the moment James swept Emily onto his lap and stole her breath with a kiss. It was a truly beautiful moment, solidifying the deep bond these two shared.  
'When you said you were planning a second, very unique wedding, this isn't quite what I had in mind.' an older man remarked, approaching the happy couple with a warm smile.  
'I did mention we do a lot of these pirate shows.' Emily laughed, snuggling closer to James. 'But I can certainly see how it might be a surprise for you, Father.'  
'Yes, you did and it certainly was. I had no idea James could be so coarse.' he nodded, moving back a step as Jamie joined them with Emily's wheelchair and a tray of drinks.  
'Actually, this was a fairly mild display. When we're on stage, it gets really coarse.' James shrugged, setting Emily down and taking the fancy tankards on the tray. 'Thank ya Jamie.'  
'But we suspected there would be a few innocent ears here so we toned it right down.' Emily added, smoothing out her skirt and taking her drink. 'Give it a little while and it'll turn crude again.'  
'I think I will stay. I would like to know more about all of you.'  
'I only hope we don't offend ya, Father. We don't often tone it down so it shouldn't be long before things fire off again.' James shrugged, turning when Jason called for a toast. 'Here we go, brace for a foul one.'  
'May you...Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, dance like no-one is watching, fuck like it's being filmed, and drink like a true Irish couple.' Jason called, a certain fondness in his eyes as he gazed at the happy couple. 'Here's to James and Emily O'Malley! Sláinte!'  
'Hey now, take it easy fellas. Father Duncan is here, let's not completely corrupt him with our coarse ways.' Emily called, shaking her head slowly. 'That said, there had better not be any filmin' of any intimate moments!'  
'We wouldn't do that to ya, Emily.' Jerry replied, still busily taking photos of the event. 'We got more respect for ya than to do that.'

~*~*~*~*~

_There are four whores in Baltimore_   
_We met after too much wine_   
_I don't care how bad yours was_   
_None can be worse than mine_   
  
_Tell me roly poly tickle her hole-y_   
_Smell of her slimy slew_   
_You can drag your nuts across her guts_   
_She's one of the whoring crew_

Clapping out the rhythm as they drove towards another Pirate Fest, the five friends were relaxed and at ease, not bothered by the rain pouring down outside as they ate up the miles along the freeway. They'd ended up purchasing a second-hand camper-bus to get them through the trip this time, instead of the three vehicles they'd used previously. They'd gone to the expense of having a chairlift installed as well, making it that bit easier for Emily.  
  
The plan had been take it in turns to drive the bus so they could push on through the night and make it to the festival on time to open the event on the main stage. They'd driven all night through worsening conditions, the bus swaying with the wind as it howled outside and heavy, driving rain lashed at the old bus, making it a little harder to control on the slippery roads. It got to the point that Emily backed out of her shift early, not confident enough to continue driving such a large vehicle with just hand controls.  
  
But finally the venue was in sight and the mood was high. Jerry had just taken the wheel, allowing Jason to get some rest on his bunk as he turned the bus into the rear, staff only parking area. The skies had finally cleared up, pointing towards it hopefully being a beautiful day for the festival. They were met just inside the gate by two of the officials in a little ATV and told to follow them to a suitable parking spot close to their entrance gate. They were warned that the ground over there was a little slippy because of the rain but it was still fine for driving buses on. Three other bands had come in their buses and made it through just fine.  
  
Following the ATV through the parking lot, Jerry was grateful that the band had fallen quiet, allowing him to concentrate on the muddy track in front of them. He felt the wheels slip and reacted quickly to pull it back under control before they slid into a row of parked cars.  
'Come on ya bitch, stay on the road.' he muttered, fighting to keep the wheels straight and on the rough track.  
  
Eyeing the corner that the ATV had just whipped around, Jerry swore softly and stepped on the brakes, fully aware that he was going way too fast to make that turn in such slick conditions.  
'Hold on back there!' he warned, feathering the brakes to hopefully prevent them locking up. 'Shit!'  
'It's tipping!' Jamie called, dropping off his bunk and grabbing hold of the frame.  
  
Before the shocked eyes of dozens of officials and performers, the brightly painted Swayin' Jays bus tipped over on the corner, sliding down a small, tree lined embankment to land half on its roof with its wheels spinning in the air. Almost instantly  people started running for the bus, some grabbing medical kits from their vehicles as others hunted up tools to break through the windows and others fetched blankets and heavy jackets to wrap the crash victims in to keep them warm.  
  
First on the scene, the Scurvy Scoundrels slid down the embankment and rounded the bus, peering in through the cracked windows for any signs of the Swayin' Jays. Swinging the shovel he'd found near the entrance gate, Michael shattered one of the windows and pulled his jacket off, using it to protect him from the remnants in the window frame. Dropping to his knees, he scrambled into the overturned bus and looked around, trying to make sense of the jumbled mess all around him.  
  
Everywhere he looked, there were broken instruments and other bits of equipment for the shows the Swayin' Jays were meant to have performed. Clothes and costumes were thrown about too, some of it torn on the twisted metal and broken timber that had once been the interior fit out of this bus.  
'Jason! Jerry! Jamie! James! Emily! Can you guys hear me?' he called, starting to dig through the stuff scattered all around him. 'Hey Seán, I'll start passing out some of this stuff. It's a mess in here, I daren't take a step just in case I step on anyone.'  
'Yeah, go for it. Fergus is out here too, we'll sort and stack whatever comes out.' Seán replied, poking his head in through the window. 'Jaysus, I see what ya mean.'  
'Michael! That you?' Jason called, somewhere further forward in the wreckage.  
'Yeah, I'm right here Jason!' Michael replied, starting to shove the scattered equipment towards the broken windows. 'Just hang in there, it's hard to find a path through.'  
'Send someone to the front! Jerry was drivin'!' Jason guided, groaning in pain somewhere further forward in the carnage.  
'Fergus is on it!' Seán responded, sending their junior most member to check on Jerry.  
  
Scrambling through the mud churned up by the bus, Fergus got around to the front of the bus and dropped to his knees to get a better view through the windscreen. There was Jerry, hanging upside down in his seatbelt, a bloody gash on his forehead but otherwise he looked okay.  
'Fergus? That you, man?' Jerry groaned, turning his head to gaze at Fergus through the side window. 'Oh man that hurts.'  
'Yeah, I'm here Jerry. Just try and stay still, the paramedics have been called.' Fergus nodded, moving around and managing to pry the side window open a little more. 'I'll stay right here until they get you out, okay?'  
'Thanks Fergus.' Jerry replied, reaching out to clasp Fergus' hand. 'Don't let go, need the support.'  
'I'm not going anywhere, I promise.' Fergus soothed, squeezing Jerry's hand firmly. 'I'm right here, it's going to be okay.'  
  
Crying out in pain when he tried to move, Jamie struggled against whatever was pressing down on his back, desperately trying to get out and check on his friends. He could feel fresh blood oozing over his face, mostly over the right side of his face. Bracing on one elbow, he reached up to press one hand to his face, swallowing back bile as he felt a wet, sticky mess around where his right eye should have been.  
'Stay still Jamie, I'm coming!' Michael called, his voice rising over the sounds of cutting and scraping all around them. 'How bad are you hurt?'  
'I can move everythin'. Got a nasty facial wound though.' Jamie replied, still heaving against whatever was on his back.  
'I'll be right with ya. Just gotta guide the rescue team to where Jason's trapped.' Michael offered, still somewhere behind Jamie.  
  
Flinching away when a bright light shone into his face, Jamie hissed and tried to shield his left eye as best he could in his current position. The light flicked away a few moments later and an older man crouched beside him, sliding one hand under whatever was pining him down.  
'We'll have you out of there in just a second.' he soothed, scanning the area quickly. 'But first, let's do something about that eye.'  
'Have you found the others yet?' Jamie asked, allowing the older man to guide his bloodied hand away from his face.  
'I have a crew working to extract the driver and one other man. How many more are there?'  
'There's five of us. Four guys and one woman, Emily. She's a para, stabbing victim years ago.' Jamie replied, flinching as a clean dressing was wrapped over his face. 'I haven't heard anything on James yet, I heard Jason before and Jerry was drivin'.'  
'We will find them. Right now though, let's worry about getting you out.'  
  
Back outside, Seán helped to pull the first back board out of the wreck, working with the rescue crew to carry Jason to safety. Looking back over his shoulder, Seán honestly didn't know how anyone could have survived that rash. The bus was upside down, propped up on a 45 degree angle with the front end caved in from an impact with a tree that had been standing on the embankment but was now felled in the mud. The other side was severely dented in as well, the impacts had torn away bunks, cupboards and a couch, adding to the carnage inside.  
  
Setting Jason down under a temporary shelter that one of the other bands had erected not too far from the crash, Seán took a knee beside him and swallowed quickly, fully aware that it could easily have been him in this situation.  
'Seán?' Jason muttered, reaching out to him with one bloodied hand. 'The others?'  
'We're still workin' on it, Jason. There's a team cuttin' Jerry free as we speak and I heard one of the rescuers talkin' to Jamie. Nothin' on the O'Malley's yet.' Seán replied, catching Jason's hand and squeezing gently. 'We'll find 'em, I promise.'  
'Make sure people know 'bout Emily.' Jason insisted, tears in his eyes as he looked up at Seán. 'Tell them, she has to be protected.'  
'I'll make sure they know. Just relax and let the paramedics work, it's going to be okay.' Seán coaxed, looking over towards the bus again.  
  
Fighting down his rising panic as he realised he was trapped under something soft but still quite heavy, James reached out blindly in the darkness, searching desperately for his beloved wife. When Jerry had called for them to brace, he'd taken Emily to the floor down beside the main bed, holding her to his chest as their world tipped upside down.  
'James?' Emily croaked, grabbing his arm tight. 'Is that you, James?'  
'I've got ya Emily.' James replied, squirming closer to her and stroking her arm softly.  
'Hey, I can hear voices back here!' someone else called, somewhere just outside their prison. 'James! Emily!  Call out if you can hear us!'  
'Down here! Beside the double bed!' James yelled, straining against whatever was pushing down on them. 'Hurry! My wife is here too!'  
'Alright, just hold on. We'll have you out shortly!'  
  
Around the front, Fergus stumbled back as Jerry was finally extricated from the mangled wreck and lowered him onto a spinal board. Of course Fergus had expected Jerry to have some nasty injuries but by the looks of him, he was never going to walk properly again. His right leg was a total wreck, bone pocking out in at least five places and half the muscles torn away.  
'Fergus?' Jerry called, looking around for the other man even as the paramedics rushed in to treat him. 'Fergus!'  
'I'm right here Jerry, I'm right here.' Fergus replied, regaining control of his stomach and scrambling back to his side. 'Be still, let the paramedics work.'  
'It's bad, ain't it?' Jerry asked, looking up at him with such sorrow in his eyes.  
'Yeah, it's bad. You can't focus on the negative though, you're alive and it sounds like everyone else survived the crash as well.' Fergus nodded, looking along the bus as Jamie was pulled out of the wreckage. 'Focus on the positive and everything will be okay.'  
'So long as everyone is alive, I can get through anything.' Jerry grinned, feeling the effects of the painkillers the paramedics had given him.


	3. Chapter 3

Emerging from the courthouse, mentally exhausted after their extensive battle against the festival organisers and staff that had allowed their accident to happen, the Swayin' Jays came face to face with at least fifteen reporters.  
'Can you tell us how much you will be receiving in compensation?'  
'Are you satisfied with the outcome of this case?'  
'Will we ever see the Swayin' Jays back on tour?'  
'Pipe down the lot of ya!' James snapped, moving forward a step and glaring at the reporters. 'Now listen up and listen real close. I'm only gonna say this once and I don't want any mistakes.'  
'You tell 'em James.' Jason uttered, wrapping a supportive and protective arm around Jamie's back.  
'It none of ya fuckin' business what we're gettin' in compensation. No, we're not satisfied with the outcome of the case because this never should have fuckin' happened.' James growled, doing his best to shield the others from the cameras flashing all around them. 'As for gettin' back on the road, well that's hardly a priority right now.'  
'So what are your priorities right now?' another reporter asked, shoving her microphone in his face.  
'Our priorities are locating all of our stolen possessions and dealin' with those who thought they had a right to loot the crash site for their own gain.' James replied, pushing her microphone away a little. 'This goes out to the officials, staff, musicians and so called fans that took off with our gear from around the crash site.'  
'Ya have three weeks to return what ya stole before we enter into legal proceedings to see our gear returned. We are aware of three people on eBay that are known to be selling stolen items and have passed their details onto police.' Jason added, still doing his best to protect Jamie from the cameras.  
'We also have spoken with our lawyers regardin' the copyrighted notebooks that were stolen from the bus. Anyone caught producing' the songs written in those books, be they performin' 'em live, creatin' CDs from them or otherwise using our music for their own gain, we are well within our rights to sue them for everything they have.' Jamie nodded, looking down at Emily for a moment.  
'So, to all those thieves out there, hand over our property before we own everything ya hold dear. To ya, these items are important because they have an unmistakeable Swayin' Jays connection. But to us, they are far more important that ya can ever imagine. We will take things to the fullest extent of the law to return our belongings so save ya-selves the trouble and just give it back.' Emily continued, reaching out to take James' hand.  
'That is all we have to say at this time. All we want right now is to be left in peace and for all our stolen property to be returned.' James finished, turning away from the reporters and ushering his friends towards the ramp off to the side of the entrance stairs.  
'Fuckin' jackals. What makes 'em think it's any of their fuckin' business?' Jerry muttered, shaking his head in disgust as they filed away.  
'They're reporters, they think everythin' is their fuckin' business.' Jamie scoffed, keeping a firm grip on Jason's arm as they headed down the ramp.

~*~*~*~*~

Stepping out of the shower, Jamie sighed softly as he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror above the vanity. For the moment it was fogged up after his hot shower but he could already see it starting to clear in places. Drying off quickly and wrapping his towel around his waist, he reached out to wipe the mirror off and flinched, forcing his gaze back to his reflection.  
  
Grabbing the handtowel he'd set on the vanity before his shower, Jamie pushed his hair back out of the way and lightly dabbed at his face, paying particular attention to his new scars. It was so hard for Jamie to look at these scars, they were a constant reminder of everything he'd lost in that crash. There had been other options available for him but at least this way, he knew it was over and could put the pain behind him. Like this, he could better focus on his future and rebuilding the band.  
  
His right eye had been ruptured in the crash, most likely by the broken glass that had been flying around but Jamie also suspected that his banjo had been part of the cause. He could vaguely remember the twang of strings snapping before he felt the first splash of fluid on his face. Oddly though, he couldn't remember the actual impact, only the blood and other fluids oozing over his face as he lay there.  
  
The longest scar ran across his eye socket, gently closing his right eye and protecting the empty socket left behind. He had another thick scar just below his eye socket, running in a jagged line towards his ear and sending off thinner tendrils over his cheek. There were a few very fine scars on the side of his nose and three thicker ones sliced through his eyebrow.  
'Ya still in there Jamie?' Jason called, knocking sharply on the door.  
'Yeah, just dealing with these scars.' Jamie replied, continuing to gently wash his face. 'I'm decent though if ya really need to use the bathroom.'  
'Will ya allow me to see 'em before ya smear that healin' cream over 'em?' Jason asked, cracking the door open slowly.  
'It ain't pretty but if ya want to see, I don't mind.' Jamie nodded, keeping one hand on the vanity as he turned to Jason. 'It's still fairly numb in a couple places but the doctor said that would fade with time but he also warned there might be a couple spots that never regain sensation.'  
  
Anchoring Jamie with a firm hand on his shoulder, Jason guided his head back and examined the cars under the bright bathroom lights, lightly tracing his fingertips over each scar and watching for the reactions.  
'These don't look anywhere near as bad as they used to look. Give it another few months and most of them will hardly be noticeable anymore.' Jason grinned, reaching for the cream Jamie was meant to use on the scars to keep them soft. 'Aside from the obvious, how ya holdin' up now?'  
'Still not sleepin' properly, keep dreamin' of the crash. It's still a bit of a struggle gettin' around, not fully adapted yet. But apart from that, I've got this.' Jamie replied, flinching when Jason started applying the cream over the scars. 'And I'm still a bit sensitive to touch on my blindside.'  
'Sorry 'bout that.' Jason offered, making sure to get the cream onto all of Jamie's scars. 'Ya know ya can always come and talk to any of us if ya need it. We're only too happy to help ya however we can. Ya just have to ask.'  
'I don't know what I need.' Jamie admitted, lowering his gaze as Jason withdrew his hand. 'I don't know how to make it stop hurtin' so much.'  
'Sometimes all ya need is someone to lean on.' Jason shrugged, washing off his hand and drying it quickly. 'When ya ready for bed, let me know. Maybe havin' someone there to hold ya through the nightmares will help.'  
'We can try.' Jamie agreed, turning back to the mirror. 'I can hardly wait for the day I can look at these scars without feelin' sick.'  
'It'll come, ya just have to be patient.' Jason promised, moving out of the way and watching Jamie walk away. 'We'll always be here for ya.'

~*~*~*~*~

Opening the personnel door, Jerry swallowed an angry comment at the sight of several fans gathered outside. Normally he would have let fly with something about respecting the privacy of others but the sight of a familiar guitar case in the hands of one of them forced him to hold his tongue. But if they tried what another group had tried, there would be trouble.  
'Come to return some of our stolen possessions, have you?' he asked, blocking the doorway with his bulk. 'I do nope none of you are hoping to be paid for returning our belongings. The last person who tried that is now in police custody and will be facing some fairly serious charges.'  
'I would never dare. I collected all these pieces from my siblings, we were all there the day of the crash.' a young woman replied, holding out a cardboard box filled with all sorts of things. 'I never took anything, I knew it was wrong but my siblings said it didn't matter.'  
'It does matter, you did a great thing bringing all this back.' Jerry smiled, accepting the box and rifling through the contents quickly.  
'What's goin' on, Jerry?' Emily called, rolling up behind him. 'Oh, more returnin' gear?'  
'A lot of small stuff, nothin' overly grand but it's a good start.' Jerry nodded, turning and handing Emily the box. 'What else do we have here?'  
'A guy brought these into my shop a few weeks ago, asking for them to be repaired. I recognised the markings on the side from the videos my daughter showed me of you guys playing and I knew they were stolen.' an older man shrugged, holding out three different hard plastic cases.  
'No way.' Emily uttered, moving closer and reaching out to take one of the cases. 'James!'  
  
Setting the case on her lap and unlatching it, she pulled out a bodhrán and turned it over in her hands. There on the side, right where she pressed it to her chest, two interlocked hearts had been carved into the wood.  
'You called, Emily?' James asked, jogging over to the group in the doorway. 'Is that…'  
'It's mine, the hearts you etched into it prove that it's mine.' Emily nodded, holding it up so he could see them. 'This gentleman gave them a coat of gold paint to make them stand out a little more against the timber.'  
'Well then, I'm guessing this one is yours.' the older man nodded, handing over the second bodhrán case. 'And this belongs to Jason, I believe.'  
'I'll take it.' James nodded, accepting his bodhrán case and the larger case. 'You have our gratitude, kind sir. These instruments hold such significance to each of us.'  
'I am just glad I could be of assistance. I have been following events since the crash and am just glad I could be of some help.' he replied, dipping his head and stepping back. 'My daughter and I will continue to keep our eyes open for more of your possessions.'  
'You have our thanks.' Emily smiled, stacking the box of gear and her bodhrán on her lap and moving away from the door. 'I'll make a start on sorting through this box.'  
  
Slinging his bodhrán case over his shoulder, James accepted two more cardboard boxes from two young brothers that had been going around their local community buying up the pirate outfits their mother had sold after taking them from the crash site, washing and repairing them all. Juggling the boxes, James pulled out his wallet and handed each brother twenty dollars to make up for the money they'd spent on retrieving the costumes. The boys protested but James insisted that they get themselves something nice as a reward for their hard work.  
  
Most of the other people gathered outside had boxes of assorted smaller stuff; pieces of their costumes, a few personal ornaments, a couple of pairs of Emily's gloves, Jerry's pick case minus all the guitar picks he kept on hand and a few more hats in various styles. As great as all of it was, they were still missing some of the most important items off the main list they'd written out after the crash.  
  
What they really wanted back were the last few instruments and the weaponry that had been stolen from the bus. Getting their weaponry back would be a huge boost to their confidence, those weapons were priceless pieces that had been specially made to be matching sets in all classes. They were truly magnificent pieces, each one lovingly cleaned and polished after every show to keep them looking pristine. They kept hoping for news on the weaponry but so far no one had heard anything about any of it.

~*~*~*~*~

Out doing some last minute shopping before the weekend, Jason was actually glad to be out of the warehouse for a little while. It wasn't that he didn't want to be around the band anymore, he still cared deeply for all of them and was determined to get them back on stage but sometimes he wanted to get away from the discomfort and constant pain that plagued Jamie and Jerry.  
  
That wasn't to say that Jason wasn't hurting too, he was trying to live with constant back pain from the crash. He'd suffered a couple of cracker vertebrae when one of the bunks collapsed on him, pinning him to his own bunk and threatening everything he'd worked for. He knew he was lucky to still be walking around, it wouldn't have taken a lot more pressure to crush his spinal cord and put him in a chair. He had a lot of respect for Emily, he had seen her struggle with daily tasks on a semi-regular basis. Jason honestly doubted he could handle paraplegia with the same quiet dignity, he was far too used to his piratical lifestyle to even consider life in a chair.  
  
Shaking off such dark thoughts and thanking his lucky stars that he was still in reasonable physical health, Jason paid for his purchases and tucked it all away in the cart he'd taken to using now that he couldn't lug a heavy pack. Thanking the older couple for their assistance, Jason turned and left the store, checking the list and making sure he had everything from this area.  
'Jason? Jason O'Connell?' a young man called, approaching him with two long, narrow cases in his hands and a relieved look on his face.  
'Aye, I'm Jason O'Connell. How can I help ya?' Jason nodded, tucking his cart in close and turning to the younger man.  
'I believe I have something that belongs to your band.' he offered, indicating the cases he was holding. 'I got these from an online seller. One of those buy swap sell sites on Facebook.'  
'Let's have a look at what ya got.' Jason grinned, reaching out to take one of the cases.  
  
Flicking the latches and lifting the lid, Jason's jaw dropped at what was tucked inside the case. There was no mistaking that particular sword hilt, the entwined pirate and mermaid on the basket-guard were distinctive and very familiar to Jason.  
'Would I be right in thinkin' ya got the pair in the other case?' Jason asked, looking up from the sword he was holding.  
'You would be.' the younger man nodded, opening the second case and holding it out. 'The seller was offering them separately but I talked him down in price and got both.'  
'Good thing ya did, these swords are meant to be kept together. These were hand forged for the O'Malley's as a wedding gift.' Jason explained, examining the second sword for damage. 'They seem to be in good condition too. But these boxes aren't familiar.'  
'Yeah, the seller said he had a guy knock the travelling boxes up to protect the weaponry.' the young man explained, closing the second case and holding it out. 'I did give the leather a good clean and polish, it was in desperate need of some attention. I oiled up the blades as well, they'd taken a bit of a beating since they were stolen.'  
'I can see that. A lot of these leather scars weren't here before the crash.' Jason noted, closing the case in his hands and stroking over the wood. 'The O'Malley's will certainly be grateful to have these returned to them.'  
'All I ask it that you tell them this fan wishes them a long and happy marriage. If they ask, the name's Clayton Jackson. I slipped my contact details inside the cases just in case they ever wanted to get in touch.'  
'I'll be sure to tell them. Your kindness will not be forgotten, Clayton. I have no doubt the O'Malley's will be in touch to offer their personal thanks for the safe return of their union swords.' Jason smiled, accepting the second case from Clayton and tucking them safely into his cart.  
'I'm just glad they're going back to their rightful owners.' Clayton shrugged, hanging back a step as Jason secured the returned weaponry. 'I will keep my eye open for any more of your stolen weaponry and get it back to you.'  
'We'd be real grateful for that, Clayton.' Jason replied, extending his hand. 'When we get back on stage, I expect to see ya there.'  
'Count on it.' Clayton grinned, shaking his hand firmly. 'Hope to see you back on tour soon.'  
  
Spirits lifted by the return of the precious union swords, Jason grabbed the handle of his cart and continued through the mall, unable to help the little grin that resided on his face now. The return of the paired swords would certainly do a lot to pull James out of his slump and hopefully inspire him to try playing again.

~*~*~*~*~

'Jamie, would you come out here please?' Emily called, somewhere over by the personnel door.  
'I'm a little busy right now.' Jamie replied, sliding a tray of fresh cookies from the oven.  
'Trust us, this is important.' Jason added, also out by the door somewhere.  
'Jaysus, can't ya at least wait until I get the cookies in the oven?' Jamie sighed, sliding in another tray and closing the oven door again. 'Now what's so damned important?'  
'Come over here and see.' James grinned, beckoning him over towards the open door.  
'This is bound to make ya happy.' Jerry nodded, a wide smile on his face.  
'What are ya up to this time?' Jamie asked, wary of the way his friends were acting.  
'Just get over here and have a look.' Emily insisted, moving back a little.  
  
As his friends moved back, Jamie caught sight of an elderly man standing just inside the open door, an extremely familiar case held in both hands. Dropping the oven mitts he'd still been holding, Jamie hurried across to the elderly man, scarcely able to believe what he was seeing.  
'Merry Christmas, Mr Harkin.' the elderly man smiled, holding out the case. 'I hope this brings you much joy.'  
'Christmas miracles do happen, Jamie.' Emily grinned, rolling back in close and slinging a brand new strap over Jamie's shoulder.  
'Thank ya, kind sir. Thank ya so much.' Jamie replied, taking the case and turning to the table beside the door.  
  
Setting his case down and opening it, Jamie lifted out the repaired banjo and hooked up the new strap quickly, unable to stop running loving fingers over the familiar designs running up the neck.  
'Unfortunately, I was unable to find all of the original pieces but I did put all the pieces I located into this one.' the elderly man explained, watching Jamie sling the strap over his shoulder.  
'I know. We've had a few pieces turn up here in various boxes of things looted from the wreck.' Jamie nodded, popping open a little hidden compartment and slipping out one of the picks. 'Nice to see that some things weren't stolen though.'  
'The case was not considered of any great importance without the banjo to go with it. I found it at a flea market weeks after the crash.'  
'So how did ya come to have the banjo remains as well?' Jamie asked, adjusting the tuning a little as he turned his attention back to the elderly man.  
'My son was part of the crew assigned to remove the wreckage of your bus and he found it in the debris after the bus was removed. He knew I would be able to repair it so he wrapped it up and snuck it home. We never intended to keep it, as soon as I finished the repairs, we started searching for where to return it.' he replied, nodding slowly as Jamie played a few notes. 'I have not heard how it sounds though, my son and I have no gift for playing.'  
  
Chuckling softly, Jamie leant back against the table and nodded, finding it a little easier to be around unfamiliar people with his scars uncovered. He was still a little nervous about being on show but his confidence started to return as he played. He could feel his old courage and fire coming back as he let the music of his heart come out.  
'So beautiful. This instrument is truly in the right hands.' the elderly man smiled, clapping his hands as he listened to the song. 'I with you all a truly merry Christmas and hope all your festive wishes come true.'  
'Thank you so much, not just for your kind wishes but for your hard work in repairing and retuning Jamie's banjo.' Jerry replied, smiling as he listened to Jamie's song. 'Our best wishes for a merry Christmas and a joyful New Year to you and yours.'  
  
Catching a whiff of something from the kitchen, James snapped out of his reverie and snatched the oven mitts from the ground, darting into the kitchen to rescue the latest batch of Jamie's Christmas cookies. Slipping them off the tray, he slid the next batch into the oven and slipped the first lot off their tray onto cooling racks.  
'One step at a time. We'll be okay.' James uttered, starting to bag up the cooled cookies for gifts. 'Ya soundin' great Jamie!'  
'I don't know what this is, it just feels right.' Jamie admitted, starting to wander around the living area but his song never wavered.  
'My guess, it's a way of healin' for ya. Emotions can be read in music and I heard a lot of pain, anger and frustration in it earlier. But now, ya got a lot more bounce in the song.' Jason shrugged, wandering over to settle at the breakfast bar.  
'we've still got a long road ahead but havin' this back makes it seem easier.' Jamie agreed, a faint smile on his lips. 'Thanks for that, James.'  
'nothin' to it Jamie.' James nodded, continuing to package up the cookies.

~*~*~*~*~

Christmas lunch was a real treat for the band. They'd gone out to an outreach centre for disadvantaged and disconnected youth to sing a few songs and share in a great Christmas feast. Emily had dropped quite the surprise on the guys too. The reason they'd been invited to join this particular centre for Christmas was because Emily had been making regular donations. Those donations came from the careful investment of the money they had earned back in Australia. That money was now being put to a much better use instead of just sitting there doing nothing.  
  
The guys made their own promises of support and help, donating their time to teach their various skills to the children of all ages. Jerry gave of his mechanical skills, promising to find a couple of old beaters to use for practical teaching. Jamie offered to help upgrade the kitchen and to teach the older kids how to cook and wait tables to give them a better chance of finding work. Jason put in a couple of calls and promised to return and teach anyone who wanted to learn how to play. James focused on the younger children, offering toys and dress ups to allow them a chance to play and imagine a different life.  
  
Watching over the guys, Emily smiled softly as she helped with some of the youngest children that made use of the centre. Some of the teenagers had children of their own and came to the centre to get help with raising their children. Often these young mothers had to choose between their education and raising their children so the centre proved invaluable for them. The volunteers helped to care for the children for a few hours each day so the mothers could focus on their studies.  
  
No one had really wanted to leave but Jason kept reminding the others of their other Christmas commitments. As fabulous as lunch had been, they had to get home and finish preparations for another Christmas meal with their extended network of musician friends. Amid much complaining and promises to return soon, the band eventually made it out the door and piled into the SUV for the drive back home.  
  
They'd barely even made it a block before Jamie dropped off, head landing on Jerry's shoulder as he started to snore. Chuckling softly, Jerry adjusted the way Jamie was slumped against him and let him sleep. No one was particularly surprised Jamie had fallen asleep, they all knew he still wasn't sleeping properly and he'd eaten quite a large lunch.  
'And the turkey coma claims another victim.' Jason teased, glancing in the rear view with a grin.  
'I'm honestly surprised by how much he ate. I knew he could pack away a meal but damn, he really filled up at lunch.' Emily remarked, glancing back with a grin.  
'Any meal he doesn't have to cook, he really gets into.' James shrugged, settling back and rubbing tired eyes. 'Not that I'm far off a turkey coma of my own.'  
'I'll second that.' Jason agreed, grateful that it wasn't too far back to the warehouse.  
'A nap before the others arrive sounds like a great idea.' Jerry nodded, nudging Jamie back a little to prevent him falling forward. 'Sleep well Jamie, ya need it.'

~*~*~*~*~

Soaking up the atmosphere from the other side, the Swayin' Jays hid their identities as much as possible and mingled with the crowd at this particular Renaissance Faire. This was a key part of their recovery and return to the stage, reacquainting them with the crowds and noise of a great faire. It was nice actually, to be able to wander among the crowds without being swamped by their fans looking for photos with the band and autographs on their CDs.  
  
Wandering among the various armourers that had come to sell their wares, Jerry spotted something and turned, pushing his way through the crowd to stop at one particular table loaded with pistols. Attention drawn to a pair of pistols in a black velvet lined box, Jerry picked one up and turned it over in his hands, eyes widening when he found the monogram on the underside.  
'Ah yes, a lovely pair of pistols.' the seller nodded, turning to Jerry with a sly grin on his face.  
'Very nice for stolen property.' Jerry replied, eyes narrowed dangerously as he lifted his gaze.  
'Stolen property? I assure you, I obtained those through legal means.'  
'Bullshit ya did. These were looted from the Swayin' Jays crash a couple years back.' Jerry spat, turning the pistol over in his hands. 'See this monogram here? That's for Jamie Harkin, banjo player for the Swayin' Jays.'  
'I was assured they were legally obtained when I purchased them.'  
'What's goin' on over here Jerry?' Jamie asked, stopping beside him and looking at the pistol Jerry was holding. 'That's my pistol. Ya rotten thief!'  
'Easy Jamie, this guy says he got them legally.' Jerry soothed, handing Jamie his pistol and picking up the second one. 'Sadly though, no pair for ya. This one is marked JoC.'  
'Jason, come over here!' Jamie called, tucking his returned pistol through his belt.  
'What's the deal, fellas?' Jason asked, joining them at the table.  
'Look familiar?' Jerry asked, handing over the pistol with a grin.  
'Very familiar.' Jason confirmed, flipping the pistol into his left hand and nodding slowly. 'I've got a unique grip on my firearms, ya know that.'  
'I don't suppose you have any more weapons from this unscrupulous seller?' Jamie asked, tucking his returned pistol through his belt.  
'Uh, yes. I purchased quite a large lot from him. I have all of those items right here, I had hopes of selling them for a great profit but if they are stolen, I will gladly return them to you.'  
'If if turns out ya have purchased our stolen weaponry, we will offer some financial recompense but only if ya can assist the authorities in arresting the one who sold them to ya.' Jason nodded, tucking his pistol away and nodding slowly.  
'Of course, I will fetch the weapons and documentation. I also thought to record the sale, I have the footage stored on my phone.'  
  
Joining their companions at the table, Emily and James scanned the wares on hand until the armourer returned with four more timber cases and placed them on his table.  
'Is this all ya picked up from that particular seller?' Jason asked, opening the first case and picking up one of the pistols inside. 'This one is yours Jerry.'  
'No, there were more in the lot. I am just one man, I cannot carry them all at once.' the armourer replied, turning back into his stall.  
'James, this one is yours.' Jason nodded, handing over the second pistol from the case. 'Hopefully you have the complete set of missin' firearms.'  
'Ah, so that's what the hold up is.' James grinned, accepting his pistol and running loving hands over it. 'I was startin' to think we'd never get 'em back.'  
'Ah, here we go. One for ya Emily and the other is Jerry's.' Jamie grinned, lifting out two more and handing them back to their rightful owners.  
  
Returning with two neatly wrapped bundles of longer weaponry, the vendor waited as the last of the pistols were sorted out and the empty cases put aside before placing the smaller bundle on the table and releasing the leather ties.  
'I don't believe it.' James uttered, jaw dropping as the quilted cloth was unrolled and five matched carbines were revealed to them. Each one even still had its unique carry sling attached and looking in good condition.  
'Could we really be this lucky?' Jason asked, picking up his carbine and checking it was still in firing condition. 'We're never this lucky.'  
'Apparently we are this lucky.' Emily chuckled, rolling closer and lifting her carbine from the display for a closer look.  
'Looks like the sights are still alignment too.' Jerry grinned, making sure not to point his weapon at anyone or anything important.  
'You might as well keep the pistol cases, I have nothing else to put in them.' the vendor suggested, gathering up the first padded cloth and folding it neatly.  
'That's very kind of ya, thank ya.' Emily nodded, resting the butt of her carbine between her feet.  
  
As the last bundle was unrolled, James caught a neatly etched bracing pole and growled as he looked at the damage done to the cradle at the top. Whoever had removed it from Emily's musket had shown no care, bending the intricately turned cradle out of shape to pry it away from the fore-stock of her musket.  
'Aw hell, if the bastard did that to Emily's musket there's no tellin' what else they might have done.' Jason groaned, looking at the mangled brace.  
'First one out is…James.' Jamie grinned, lifting up the first musket and turning to James. 'Feels like it used to but better take a close look.'  
'This is mine, I remember leavin' that knick in the timber.' Jason chuckled, lifting his musket and stepping back.  
'Here ya go Jerry, check it over.' Jamie nodded, handing over another musket and continuing to unroll the thick cloth. 'And here's mine.'  
'Which leaves mine at the heart of the bundle.' Emily sighed, rolling up to the bench again and looking at her musket. 'Son of a bitch!'  
  
She didn't even need to pick it up to know it was in need of serious repairs. She could see cracks in the timber that someone had tried to repair but it was still blatantly obvious. Picking it up, she could feel the balance was off and when she tried to sight on a sign behind the vendor, she had to tip the weapon over to a stupid angle just to get the foresight on target.  
'What the fuck happened to that poor weapon?' Jason gaped, looking at how Emily had to bend over to sight on the sign.  
'My god, that's the worst case of weapon abuse I've ever seen.' Jamie added, horrified by what they were witnessing.  
'Whoever wrenched my brace pole off really messed this up.' Emily sighed, setting it down carefully and examining the timber again. 'I mean, just look at all these cracks.'  
'How the fuck does anyone manage to mangle a musket that badly?' Jerry asked, leaning over Emily's shoulder for a closer look.  
'Particuarly one of this quality.' Emily agreed, running her fingers over the twisted barrel. 'It's gonna take a miracle to put her right again.'  
'Maybe Mickey can fix her. If not, he'll be able to make up another one to match.' James suggested, resting one hand on Emily's shoulder lightly.  
'We can ask him. It'd be a real shame to lose this beauty.' Emily nodded, looking over the weapon again. 'Would you happen to have something we could use to wrap this in to protect it from any further damage?'  
'I think I have some spare packing cloths. Just one moment.' the vendor replied, turning and heading back into his little stall.

~*~*~*~*~

Leaving Emily's mangled musket with their gunsmith friend Mickey, the band headed towards the central area of the faire village, planning on getting something to eat and relaxing. Now fully armed, they felt a lot more at home at the faire, remembering many great times when they had been a big part of such a grand show. They were still hoping to get in some time down at the firing range, but not until they had a chance to sit down and make absolutely sure their returned firearms were in a suitable condition.  
  
Ordering up a feast for a table of five form one of the taverns, the friends settled and watched the crowds swirling around them. The people still didn't seem to realise they were anything special, content to follow their own interests through the faire. Even the serving wenches that carried out their food said nothing about who they were, though the band had discarded a few pieces of their disguises for the sake of comfort.  
  
Tucking into the meal with gusto, the group really did enjoy the mood of the festivities, forgoing the provided utensils and doing it the same way they did when they were performing. In with the hands and manners out the window.  
'Hey, what's this?' Jamie asked, wiping one hand on his pants and picking up a note that had been tucked under one of the serving platters. 'It's got the band name on it.'   
'Pass it here, my hands are cleaner.' Emily replied, wiping her hands and reaching for the note.  
'What's it say?' Jason asked, drinking deep and tearing into the whole chicken on one platter.  
'To the Swayin' Jays, your presence is kindly requested at the village green at two hours past high noon for a special presentation.' Emily read, turning the page over quickly. 'That's it, there's no explanation or anythin'.'  
'so much for bein' incognito.' James remarked, glancing up from the meal for a moment. 'We gonna go see what they want?'  
'Well, they did write a very polite note.' Jason shrugged, head snapping around at a rather rude comment from a woman. 'Hey, it's a Renaissance Faire so we're eating the way they did. Cutlery and manners ain't that old.'  
'For the time, our manners are actually extremely good.' Jerry added, checking under the table. 'I'm impressed, there's even a dog for the scraps.'  
'Now that's accuracy.' Jamie grinned, tearing the last bit of good meat off the chop he'd been enjoying and flicking the bone under the table. 'Mickey did say to give him a few hours to work on that musket of Emily's. We might as well go see what they want at the green.'  
'We've got an hour and a half before we have to be at the green. Anything ya want to do on the way?' Jerry asked, sneaking a quick look at his hidden watch.  
'We'll finish lunch then decide what we want to do. I'm in no hurry to leave this fine meal.' Jamie replied, reaching for the other drumstick on the chicken. 'You want any of this Emily?'  
'Yeah, pass it over.' she nodded, pulling her belt knife and slicing off a breast quickly. 'I did wanna catch some of the sword fightin' if we get the time.'  
'Thought they went most of the day. Surely we won't be stuck at the green for too long.' Jerry shrugged, motioning to one of the serving wenches for another round of drinks.  
  
Folding the note in one hand, Emily tucked it in her waist pouch and went back to her meal, ignoring the people around them and trying to recall how she used to act when they were on show. This really wasn't all that different to when they were actually performing, they were still on show for the people even though they weren't actually singing.  
'Maybe it's time we stopped hidin' so much. It's been three years since the crash.' Jason sighed, tearing into the bread on offer. 'Anyone against us gettin' back to what we do best?'  
'I'm game. Not gonna get any better on this leg.' Jerry shrugged, looking down for a moment. 'But if we're gonna go back on stage, I might look at gettin' a peg just to make a gag outta it.'  
'We really will pass as a bunch of sailors once we get back on stage.' Jamie chuckled, leaning back in his chair. 'No doubt I can find a patch that'll go with the rest of my gear.'  
'Count me in, been gettin' bored with just classes and the centre to keep me busy. It's time we got back to the music.' James nodded, tearing up his bread and really enjoying this chance to act a pig and get away with it.  
'Sounds like we're all in agreement then. It's time the Swayin' Jays got back on the road.' Emily smiled, lifting her tankard. 'Here's to the return of the Swayin' Jays!'  
'The Swayin' Jays!' the guys returned, tankards clattering together.

~*~*~*~*~

Making their way up the gentle slope to the village green, the band got quite a shock to see so many people gathered around a raised stage at the crest of the slope. There was a large palisade wall erected behind the stage but they recalled something being mentioned about ongoing works at the village so didn't really give it much thought. It was actually a really clever way to hide the workers from the visitors. They had seen a few other such walls scattered around the place so it really wasn't a big surprise to find one up here.  
  
A great cheer went up form the gathering as the Swayin' Jays made their way up onto the stage and turned to face the waiting officials in all their finery. The people gathered around the stage were chanting and clapping their hands, overjoyed to see the Swayin' Jays back out in public.  
'Well this is weird.' James muttered, scanning the crowd slowly.  
'Very well, good people, enough of that. I know you are all excited to see the Swayin' Jays back on a stage after their long hiatus but we still have much to get through.' the mayor called, holding up his hands for quiet. 'There will be time to celebrate their return to us later.'  
'Okay, now that was weird.' Jamie muttered, shaking his head slowly. 'Are they expectin' us to perform on such short notice?'  
'I have a bad feeling about this.' Emily added, scanning the crowd warily. 'They're up to something.'  
'even here in this little hamlet, we know of the terrible crash that cost the Swayin' Jays so much and kept them from so many shows where we have all become so used to seeing them. In response to this terrible tragedy, our community rallied to the cause and came up with several brilliant fundraising ideas to help the Swayin' Jays get back on their feet.'  
'Okay, what the fuck is goin' on here?' Jason asked, keeping his voice down so he didn't disturb the mayor's speech.  
'Beats the fuck outta me man.' Jerry shrugged, not sure what to make of all this.  
'Today, our efforts can finally be shared with those we worked so hard for. So without further ado, I will ask for the Swayin' Jays to turn around and behold the gifts their extended network of friends, fellow musicians and fans have all pitched in to purchase for you.'  
  
Totally confused now, the band members turned around slowly, not quite sure what to expect to find behind them. Where there had been a palisade wall, there was now an assortment of things. Pride of place in the collection was a brand new camper bus with several sections that popped out from the sides. Painted up to look like an old pirate ship, complete with waves rising up the bow and sails spread to catch the wind, it was a beautiful looking thing. The detail was amazing, right down to the individual strands of the ropes and the wood grain in the planks.  
  
The bus was surrounded by all sorts of other bits and pieces; a top of the line barbeque, outdoor furniture, amps and speakers of various sizes, racks of clothing, instruments and even a few new period appropriate weapons.  
'What the hell? What is all this?' Jason asked, turning back to the mayor. 'What is goin' on here?'  
'Is it not obvious, Jason? These are gifts from the Ren Fest community to you all. For the past three years, we have been running fundraisers to build up a fund to purchase these items to get you back on the road.' the mayor explained, waving one hand to take in the grand display of equipment.  
'Are ya for fuckin' real?' Jamie asked, stunned by the generosity being displayed. 'All of this for us?'  
'It's all yours, we even paid the first year of fees so it's fully road legal.' Michael replied, emerging from the crowd. 'Everyone here in this crowd played their part in giving you this gift.'  
'Well, except for us. We're here because the mayor asked us to be the ones to show ya around ya new gear.' Fergus shrugged, coming up behind the Swayin' Jays. 'We were a little busy with the Pirate Fest community to help with this lot.'  
'But before we show ya around ya new gear, got anythin' nice to say to these kind folks?' Seán asked, climbing up onto the stage and holding out the keys to the bus. 'They did raise a hell of a lot of money on your behalf.'  
  
Accepting the keys and looking at the custom made Swayin' Jays key ring attached to them, Jason smiled softly and nodded, beckoning for the rest of the band to gather around him. Looking back over his shoulder at all the gifts, Jason really wasn't sure what to say to encompass just how grateful they were for the kindness and generosity shown.  
'Words can never cover just what this means to us. Thank you hardly seems enough for all the hard work you no doubt put into this incredible gift. Your act of kindness has touched us more than you know. Thank you so much.' Emily offered, reaching out to take James by the hand.  
'Ya have shown here that actions really do speak so much louder than words. Thank ya for all ya help. With these gifts, we can finally put the tragedies of the past behind us and move on into a brighter future.' Jamie added, resting one hand on Jason's shoulder.  
'I am speechless with appreciation. Without your support and kindness, I don't know how we would have found a way to get back out there. Thank you all so very much, we are eternally grateful for all of this.' James nodded, looking down at Emily for a moment.  
'It only takes one person's random act of kindness to make a difference. Well here it's a whole crowd of people with their own random acts of kindness. Thank you all for making such a difference in our lives. These gifts are all we could have wished for before we embark on our return to the music.' Jerry smiled, resting one hand on Emily's shoulder and the other on Jason's back.  
'And that goes to show why we're such a strong group of friends. When one of us can't find the right words, the others are right there to pick up the slack. You are all such amazing people to do this for us, giving of your time, money and expertise to present us with this gift. Thank you, thank you all so very much.' Jason chuckled, sweeping his gaze across the crowd.  
  
Turning back to the array of kindly given donations, the Swayin' Jays made their way up the last of the slope and looked around at the incredible collection. Everything had been branded with their band logo, making it undeniable just who owned all of these items now.  
'Welcome aboard the Good Ship Harmony. There's a chair lift just for you Emily. It's at the other end of the livin' and dinin' room pop-out.' Seán grinned, leaning in the open door beside the wide pop-out section that he'd identified.  
'Hang 'em high!' Emily laughed, squeezing James' hand for a moment and moving off again.  
'Hang 'em high!' the guys chorused, splitting up to further explore what they'd been given.  
  
Jason bounded up the stairs and took in the interior. This was even more stunning than the outside, everything carefully thought out to make the most of the available space. The door came in behind the driver's seat, everything flat to give Emily maximum access. By the looks of things, the driver's seat was actually designed to rotate, giving them an extra seat when they were relaxing together. The area in front of the door was taken up by the kitchen and a full sized refrigerator. The kitchen led into the living/dining area, the barest step up to mark where the pop out section started.  
'Holy shit, this is incredible.' Emily remarked, rolling into view at the other end of the extended section. 'There's so much room in here.'  
'And all the latest gear to make this the best damned touring bus out there.' Seán nodded, spinning the driver's seat around. 'This bus has been fitted with standard pedals and a fully integrated hand control system. With the simple flip of a switch, anyone can drive this bus.'  
'Seriously? I don't have to use portable controls with this bus?' Emily asked, eyes lighting up as she approached. ;I can just get in and drive.'  
'Well, you could but there's no point. One switch and it goes from hand control to foot and back again.' Seán shrugged, patting the seat. 'Come and have a look for yourself.'  
  
Curious about the interior of the bus, Jamie was far more interested in the outdoor furniture and barbeque neatly arranged beside the bus. He'd already investigated the two small refrigerators under the bus, each one secured with a simple five latch system that ensured they would stay sealed even over the roughest terrain.  
'Thought you'd like the looks of this lot.' Michael grinned, leaning on the table lightly. 'Those refrigerators actually slide out and have legs on this end so ya don't have to keep climbing in to get stuff out.'  
'Well that makes things a little easier.' Jamie grinned, taking a closer look and working out how to slide the rack out and drop the legs. 'This is going to make those long trips away so much better.'  
'If ya think this is great, check this out.' Michael chuckled, wandering over and opening another panel beside the undercarriage storage. 'Built in prep benches and this one even has a sink included. The hoses are connected to the onboard water tanks and are designed to stretch and retract with the movement of the bench.'  
'This is incredible.' Jamie breathed, fingers tracing over the built in equipment racks mounted above the bench. 'This is just what I need to make life easier on the road.  
'Everything ya could possibly is right here in this set up. It's designed to be everything ya might find in a real kitchen but packed up to fit under the bus.' Michael explained, allowing Jamie to slide the extended bench back out of the way. 'Everything ya see out here fits back under the bus or inside in specialised racks.'  
'This is going to be so cool.' Jamie beamed, tucking the refrigerators back in out of the way.  
  
Circling towards the back of the bus, James scratched his head at the sight of a weird five fingers metal contraption emerging from a long, narrow panel between the engine compartment and the second pop out on this side.  
'This is a brand new bit of kit on the market, no one else has one of these just yet. It's called the Hammock Hand, for obvious reasons.' Fergus chuckled, opening a sliding compartment under the pop out section and lifting out a roll of thick canvas. 'It's as simple as clip this to the hook here, release the cords and unroll it to hook up the other end.'  
'Now that is really somethin'. And these have been tested and found safe?' James asked, running his hand over the unrolled hammock and checking the distance from the hammock to the support bar.  
'The hanging system has been tested to be able to withstand almost a ton of weight. Of course, the hammocks can't take that sort of strain but the system is more than capable of holding the Swayin' Jays in comfort.' Fergus explained, looking back towards the bus. 'The supporting structure for the hand of actually anchored to the chassis of the bus so it's not going anywhere.'  
'How easy is it to put away?' James asked, looking at the arrangement of metal bars spreading out around him. 'And was Emily's condition taken into account during its construction?'  
'If you look, you'll notice the bar at the far end is much lower than the others to allow for easy access for Emily. As for putting it away, it's as easy as could be.' Fergus replied, grabbing the next bar along. 'It's as simple as pulling the levers, folding the lightweight poles back together and securing them with the locking clamps in the compartment.'  
'Now that is really clever. So long as we can roll the hammocks up tight enough to fit back in their compartment, it's really nothing to stress about.'  
'Exactly. It couldn't be simpler to operate.' Fergus nodded, unfolding the bar again and locking it out straight. 'And if you follow me around the back, you'll see another device from the same company that produced the Hammock Hand.'  
  
Examining all the musical gear that had been included in this gift, Jerry couldn't wipe the smile off his face. Though most of this would likely only be used for practise or studio work, the amps and speakers would certainly get a lot of use. The weaponry was what really caught his eye though, particuarly the beautiful set of five matched swords, each one with the band logo etched into the guard. Whoever forged them had also taken the time to engrave the intended recipient's name down the spine of each sword. Finding his in the collection, Jerry sheathed it smoothly and buckled his new baldric into place, liking the feel of this new sword at his hip.  
'Jerry O'Rourke?' a male voice called, pulling Jerry away from the examination of the weaponry.  
'Aye, what can I do for ya?' Jerry nodded, turning to find a young man behind him with a briefcase clutched to his chest.  
'On behalf of the crew of the Isabella, I return these to your possession.' the young man replied, holding out the case with both hands.  
'The Isabella you say.' Jerry chuckled, mind drifting to the landlocked ship at one of the Pirate Fests they had always enjoyed. 'Well then, let's have a look here.'  
  
Opening the case, Jerry swallowed quickly and lifted out the top notebook, flipping through it quickly. There was no mistaking Jamie's handwriting, it had a very distinct slant to the left and long drooping tails on his Ys and Gs.  
'Where did you find these?' Jerry asked, lifting out another notebook and flipping it open.  
'The crew of the Isabella forcibly confiscated them from an old salt dog that was trying to sell them off along with dozens of other old sea journals and maps. This was only a couple of weeks ago, he said he had purchased them at a previous festival and had been sitting on them for the last couple of years.'  
'Well then, kindly pass on our deepest thanks to the crew of the Isabella and tell them that the next time we meet, the first round is on the Swayin' Jays.' Jerry smiled, gathering up the five notebooks and checking they were all in reasonable condition.  
'I'll be sure to tell them. We are just glad to see them back where they belong.' the young man nodded, glancing down at the case. 'Ya welcome to keep the case if ya want.'  
'No need, we've got a secure place to put these.' Jerry replied, tucking his sword close and heading towards the bus. 'Emily! Got somethin' for ya to guard!'

~*~*~*~*~

Responding to the calls from their supporters for a little show, Jamie donned a new outfit and made his way down to the stage with a single mic headset and a cheeky glint in his eyes. His outfit was carefully chosen, abandoning his better known piratical persona for something much more genteel and kindly.  
'Ya want a song, do ya? Well alright then but this ain't gonna be somethin' ya heard from us before. Right here, I'll give ya somethin' new and different, somethin' to tide ya through until we return to the stage. We're best known for our sea songs and dirty ditties but this time, I wanna share somethin' else with ya.' Jamie announced, securing his power pack and looking out across the crowd. 'But if ya wanna hear this, ya gonna have to quiet down.'  
  
Adjusting his mic and bowing his head, Jamie surprised everyone when he came out with a softest, sweetest song. It was a far cry from the bawdy ballads the Swayin' Jays were known for, the soft lilting Irish words flowing up and out to wrap around the crowd. It didn't matter if they could understand him, the emotions of the song rang out loud and clear.

Buachaill ón Éirne mé 's bhréagfainn féin cailín deas óg.  
Ní iarrfainn bó spré léithe tá mé féin saibhir go leor.  
'S liom Corcaigh 'a mhéid é, dhá thaobh a' ghleanna 's Tír Eoghain.  
'S mura n-athraí mé béasaí 's mé n' t-oidhr' ar Chontae Mhaigh Eo.  
  
Rachaidh mé 'márach a dhéanamh leanna fán choill  
Gan choite, gan bád, gan gráinnín brach' ar bith liom  
Ach duilliúr na gcraobh mar éideadh leapa os mo chionn  
'S óró sheacht mh'anam déag thú 's tú 'féachaint orm anall.  
  
Buachailleacht bó, mo lao, nár chleacht mise ariamh  
Ach ag imirt 's ag 'ol 's le hógmhná deasa fá shliabh  
Má chaill mé mo stór ní dóigh* gur chaill mé mo chiall  
A's ní mó liom do phóg ná'n bhróg atá'r caitheamh le bliain.  
  
A chuisle 's a stór ná pós an seanduine liath  
Ach pós a' fear óg, mo lao, mur' maire sé ach bliain  
Nó beidh tú go fóill gan ó nó mac os do chionn  
A shilfeadh a'n deor tráthnóna nó'r maidin go trom.

Cheeks stained a pale pink as he bowed, Jamie turned and jogged back up to the bus, making certain his mic was switched off before he tucked it back into the travel case with all the others.  
'That was amazin', Jamie.' Jerry praised, clapping him on the shoulder. 'I had no idea ya had such a range when ya tried.'  
'Ya been holdin' out on us, Jamie.' Jason chuckled, ruffling his hair lightly. 'Reckon ya might step up a little more now?'  
'Yeah, I reckon I will.' Jamie nodded, locking the travel case and hoisting it off the table.  
'I think I have the perfect song if ya willin' to do a duet.' Emily grinned, lifting another supply case onto her lap and rolling towards the bus.  
'I have a feelin' the Swayin' Jays are gonna do a bit of a revamp before we hit the stage again.' James remarked, taking the two cases and packing them away under the bus.  
'I reckon ya might be right there James.' Jason agreed, lifting the last supply case from the table and carrying it over. 'Not a total change but enough to broaden our choices.'

~*~*~*~*~

Picking up a few easy gigs at local bars to settle back into their routine, the Swayin' Jays took their time to get back on their feet, trying out their new style on a few different audiences to see how well their fans took to it. The initial response was good, their fans accepted the change in the band and offered their support with what the band was trying to do.  That support was truly priceless to the Swayin' Jays, giving them new hope that their plans to rebuild their image bigger and better would result in them getting even more publicity.  
  
But at the same time, it didn't feel totally right to change the way the band had been for so many years. Going right back to when it had first started, the plan for the Swayin' Jays had been so clear to the original three. There had been no question of what to do with their growing musical talent, they all knew exactly what to make of it.  
  
It felt awkward and wrong to start, these new songs and costume options depending on their situation. With each new gig though, each time they sang these songs and wore these outfits, it started to feel a little more like home. These rediscovery gigs also served to remind each member of the band that they all had their own special story and something unique to bring to their shows.  
  
No matter how far they drifted though, they always returned to the details and personas that served them so well for so long. Often there was no conscious choice to return, one of them would start to play a familiar song and away they went for a little while. They certainly tried to find a solid balance between their old songs and the new stuff they were trying out, they didn't always succeed but they gave it their best shot.

~*~*~*~*~

Preparing for their big return to the public eye, the band kept repeating the date to each other, constantly reinforcing the promises they had made. They had everything lined up, now they just had to get show ready and make absolutely certain they could pull this off. This had to be their biggest and best, proving once and for all that the Swayin' Jays were back and ready to show them all just what they were really capable of.  
  
Here was where their real talents shone through, the five of them pulling together to create the most incredible show they had ever dared to try. Emily put her considerable writing talents to the effort, scripting out an amazing display of just what they were capable of. Jamie took that written plan and combined it with his natural affinity for the stage, choreographing each step and working out just what was possible. James had the task of rigging up the support frames they'd had built for this purpose, giving everyone a chance to practise what Jamie had come up with. Jason went through their entire repertoire of songs, compiling the best list to fit the action on stage and their plans for the really big stunts. Jerry had the unenviable task of going through all of their accumulated costumes and weaponry to find the best outfits and fit-outs for their grand display.  
  
As a team they painted up the specific backgrounds they wanted and built the additional pieces they would need for various parts of their show. Everything had to be made to suit the exact specifications of their venue and the stage already there. They only had a limited space around the stage and they intended to use every inch of it to really shine and remind people why they gave so much to see the Swayin' Jays back on their feet and out in public again.  
  
They even went so far as to hire in a few professionals from different fields to add another element to their grand return to the stage. No expense was spared, they were determined that this was going to be the sort of show that people would talk about for years to come. There could be no doubt about any of this, this performance was a gift to their fans and all those who believed in the Swayin' Jays.  
  
Everything else was put aside, the sole focus had to be their upcoming return and all the intricacies contained within their one hour show. One hour to show off everything they had discovered about themselves and display just how much further the Swayin' Jays were willing to take things. After this first show, they would explain that their regular events wouldn't be so intricate, this was a special occasion thing only.  
  
Going through the steps multiple times every day, they made certain everything would flow properly and no one was in any danger as they went through their performance. They had the outline of the stage marked out on the floor as well, helping them to work out exactly where they could and couldn't stand as they ran through the plan time and time again.  
  
There were so many things that could go wrong, their display was complicated and certain to draw a lot of attention. They could only hope that attention was for all the right reasons. They had already spoken to the safety committee at the venue of their choice, going over all their stunts and ensuring that it was all green lit and ready for them. A couple of stunts required some minor modifications to pass but even those issues were handled quickly and smoothly.  
  
As the day of their grand return drew closer, the nerves started to grow yet they remained professional, getting up after every mistake and pushing on with their efforts until they could get through the entire show, including wardrobe changes, without a single mistake. Only then did they agree that they were ready to take their show on the road and return to the spotlight.  
  
The pack up was reasonably easy, they had already organised for most of it to be replicated at the venue and they had their backdrops and scenery shipped to the venue so everything would be in place for their display. The professionals they'd hired to improve their display headed to the venue early to prepare for their parts in the return.   
  
To really boost the crowd numbers and get a great hype about their return, the Swayin' Jays took to the radio and newspapers across their state and beyond, wanting to let as many people as possible know that they were coming back better than ever. They even went so far as to make an international declaration of their intention to return to the stage.  
  
Crushing down on their last minute nerves, the Swayin' Jays left their comfortable warehouse home and ventured out on the road, bracing for the fanfare that was sure to welcome them when they arrived at the event and set up camp wherever they were assigned to park. There was no turning back now, they had to put on a good show or people would lose all faith in the Swayin' Jays.  
  
Everywhere they stopped, people offered kind words of support and encouragement, most of them glad to see the Swayin' Jays finally coming back to the events they were so well known for. Other bands had tried but none could fill the gap left when the Swayin' Jays stopped playing. Well, at least that's what the fans were saying.


	4. Chapter 4

Getting the signal that all the guys were in place and ready for the show to start, Emily sat up in her rock pool and climbed up onto the rocks arranged around the front of the pool. Instantly the crowd started cheering and chanting, calling on the Swayin' Jays to make their grand appearance and captivate the crowd once more.  
'Welcome! I can guess why ya all here on my humble island.' Emily called, waving to the crowd then turning to look at the stage. 'Huh, well this is strange. I know the Swayin' Jays are here somewhere, I saw 'em not five minutes ago. So here's what we'll do. Let's make some noise and see if we can't bring 'em out of hidin' again.'  
  
A great cheer went up from the crowd, everyone excited to see the Swayin' Jays again after four and a half years away from the festivals where they were always so popular. Sitting on her rocks, Emily kept stirring them up, trying to get an even bigger cheer from the people that had come to see them perform at long last.  
'c'mon, ya can surely do better than that! Give it ya best shot, we gotta get the Swayin' Jays out here! Emily roared, doing her best to really stir up the crowd. 'Scream it out! Let 'em know ya here for them!'  
  
As the crowd reached fever pitch, the sounds of a cannon broadside thundered across the festival grounds, sending a few skittish folks diving for cover as a white cloud drifted low across the area. Clashing swords rang out between cannon blasts and the lighter cracks of flintlock firearms echoed across the stage. Playing with it, Emily rolled off the rocks and dropped back into her pool just as a couple of their mock cannon balls raced across her area and exploded into plumes of confetti.  
  
Flying out of the rolling smoke cloud, Jamie kicked out and soared, pistol in his right hand and rope clutched tight in his left. Swinging out across the gap, he fired back behind him and tucked his pistol through his belt. Letting the rope slip through his grasp, he dropped to the stage and rolled, coming up with another pistol in his hand. Firing back across the gap, he grinned and turned, jumping a little as he looked at the crowd.  
'Well hey there!' he called, waving to the audience as Emily emerged from behind her rocks. 'Good to see ya again Emily.'  
'I'd ask what the hell ya doin', Jamie, but I don't think I wanna know.' Emily sighed, heaving back up onto her rocks. 'Now where the hell are the others?'  
'Well, they weren't on that ship. Apart from that, dunno where they are.' Jamie replied, whipping around and pulling a third pistol from his belt. 'And yes, I know they weren't onboard that one.'  
  
Drawing attention to the other side of the stage, James ran out from behind a little hut on another side platform and hurried out onto the narrow bridge linking the hut to the main stage. Moments later, two scruffy looking pirates followed him into view, the leading one waving a sword and the second carrying two pistols. Turning on the narrow bridge, James lashed out with his own sword and reached for one of his pistols, determined to keep the pair away from the main stage.  
  
Drawing his own sword, Jamie started running over to assist but James was faster, managing to shot the first pirate and chase the other one off the bridge and back beyond the hut. Stepping back onto the bridge, James grabbed the body on the boards and tossed it over the ropes to land with a splash in the water below.  
'Where've ya been, James?' Jamie asked, sheathing his sword and leaning against one of the random crates scattered around the stage. 'We've been worried 'bout ya.'  
'We…oh, well hey there everyone!' James grinned, waving to the crowd as he wiped the blood from his face. 'I was lookin' for a nice trinket for my lassie. Found those two instead.'  
'I might have somethin' ya can give her. Stole it from that ship over there.' Jamie shrugged, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a glimmering gold necklace with a big red stone hanging from it. 'Reckon she'll like this?'  
'It's perfect Jamie, thank ya.' James nodded, accepting the necklace and tucking it away in his pocket. 'She'll love it.'  
  
Jumping and grabbing for their pistols at the sound of concentrated fire from behind them, the pair turned as Jason came crashing through the vines at the back of the stage, dual swords in his hands and blood splattered over his clothes. Skidding to a stop between the other two, he dropped his swords and pulled the pistols slung across his chest, raising one and drawing his aim on the vines. Bursting out of the vines, three more filthy looking pirates raced forward with swords held high and murder in their eyes. They barely made it out of the vines before they were shot, bright red stains appearing on their ragged shirts and they dropped backwards through the vines, their swords clattering to the stage.  
  
Reloading their pistols as they turned back to the crowd, James and Jamie headed over towards their instruments as Jason finished his reloading and looked up, jumping back a step as he realised they were being watched by so many people.  
'Hey there! Sorry about that, didn't expect so much trouble here.' he smiled, securing his pistols again and moving forward. 'What's the deal Emily?'  
'Got an agreement with that lot. So long as they don't hassle me, I won't lead 'em to their deaths.' Emily shrugged, heaving up onto some higher rocks to the left of her pool. 'Where's Jerry?'  
'Haven't seen him for a while. We can't wait for him; these folks are waitin' for a song.' Jason replied, picking up his drum and slipping the strap over his head. 'He'll turn up; he's got a knack for showin' up at the best time.'  
'Alright then, let's get this show started!' Jamie called, bounding up onto one of the crates and adjusting his tricorne. 'Ya been waitin' for this, right?'  
'Well alright then!' James crowed, feeding off the energy of the audience as he swung up onto a barrel and started to clap.  
  
Reclining on her rocks, Emily smiled as the guys kicked off their opening song and left the crowd wondering just what was going on. This was one of their newest songs, so far untested on any audience and kept as a secret opener for this specific gig. It was really great to see the people in the front few rows were getting into it, clapping and swaying along with the beat.

_Guess who just got back today,_   
_Them wild-eyed boys that'd been away,_   
_Haven't changed, had much to say,_   
_But man, I still think them cats are crazy._   
_They were askin' if you were around,_   
_How you was, where you could be found._   
_Told them you were livin' downtown,_   
_Drivin' all the old men crazy._   
  
_The boys are back in town, (the boys are back in town)._   
_I said The boys are back in town, the boys are back in town._   
_The boys are back in town, (the boys are back in town)._   
_The boys are back in town, (the boys are back in town)._   
  
_You know that chick that used to dance a lot,_   
_Every night, she'd be on the floor, shakin' what she's got._   
_Man, when I tell ya she was cool, she was red hot._   
_I mean she was steamin'._   
_And that time over at Johnny's place,_   
_Well, this chick, she got up and slapped Johnny's face,_   
_Man, we just fell about the place,_   
_If that chick don't wanna know, forget her._

'What the fuck is wrong with ya, Jamie?' Jason asked, turning to look at him as the song died. 'Ya keep playin' bum notes.'  
'I don't wanna worry ya but…DUCK!' Jamie yelled, jumping off the crate and hunkering down beside it.  
'Aw hell.' James groaned, jumping down and taking cover.  
'I swear Jamie…' Emily sighed, rolling off the rocks and dropping out of sight.  
  
With an almighty boom, the ship beside the stage shuddered and sunk, hidden cannons throwing little bits of timber onto the stage along with scraps of rope and canvas. The audience copped it too, different hidden cannons showering them with confetti of every size and colour.  
'What is it with ya blowin' stuff up, Jamie?' Jason asked, climbing to his feet and brushing off the dust. 'Ya just can't help it, can ya?'  
'It ain't on purpose, I swear.' Jamie replied, popping up from his hiding spot. 'I'm just a cook, not a gunner. I dunno why this keeps happenin', honest.'  
'Come on, we've still got a song to finish.' James cut in, flicking the debris off his barrel and jumping back up.  
'I can't believe ya started without me, fellas.' Jerry groused, emerging from a pile of canvas and rope on one corner of the stage.  
'There ya are, Jerry! We woulda waited but we had no clue where ya were.' Jason replied, climbing up onto his crate and resettling his drum. 'Let me guess, Jamie woke ya with his boom.'  
'Nah, the music woke me but then Jamie yelled duck so I figured I'd stay put.' Jerry shrugged, hobbling over to where his guitar had been placed and protected by several barrels.  
'Come on fellas, back to the song!' Emily called, climbing back up onto her rocks and settling. 'Ya got up to the second chorus.'  
'Right, thanks Emily.' Jason nodded, looking at the band quickly. 'No more surprises?'  
'We're good, let's do this.' James grinned, starting to coax the crowd to clap along again.

_The boys are back in town, the boys are back in town._   
_I said The boys are back in town, the boys are back in town._   
_The boys are back in town, the boys are back in town._   
_The boys are back in town, the boys are back in town._   
  
_Spread the word around guess who's back in town_   
_You spread the word around_   
_Friday night they'll be dressed to kill,_   
_Down at Dino's bar and grill_   
_The drink will flow, and blood will spill,_   
_And if the boys wanna fight you better let 'em._   
_That jukebox in the corner blasting out my favorite song,_   
_The nights are gettin' warmer, it won't be long,_   
_Won't be long 'til summer comes,_   
_Now that the boys are here again._   
  
_The boys are back in town, (the boys are back in town)._   
_The boys are back in town, (the boys are back in town)._   
_The boys are back in town, (the boys are back in town)._   
  
_Spread the word around_   
_The boys are back in town, (the boys are back in town)._   
_The boys are back, the boys are back._   
_The boys are back in town again_   
_They're hangin' down at Dino's_   
_The boys are back in town again!_

~*~*~*~*~

Sweeping the crowd up in their dazzling stunts, familiar bawdy routines and newer Irish routines all rolled up together, the Swayin' Jays made sure the entire festival ground knew of their return. Some songs even got the crowd up and dancing with them, a few of them even joining in with the singing when something they knew came up in the mix. There was always something to keep the people entertained so they never really noticed when someone disappeared from sight and returned in a different outfit.  
  
Enjoying his chance to show off just what he was truly capable of, Jamie adjusted his hat and smiled as James and Jerry started up a bouncy little jig. Jumping down off his crate and setting his banjo aside, Jamie gave over to the violin and bodhrán with a joyful laugh. Dancing a routine that would have made his parents proud, Jamie made the best use of everything he had around him. Up onto the barrels and crates, around the ropes and across the stage, he combined his love of acrobatics and dance into one eye-catching display.  
  
Their show kept the crowd guessing constantly, never quite certain what would happen next. So far just about every song had been interrupted in one way or another. Sometimes it was a raid from the other pirates on the island, sometimes by another smaller explosion from the sinking ship beside the stage and sometimes by the other inhabitants of the island paradise they were using as a backdrop for this show.  
  
The crowd was still with them, clapping along and pushing the energy higher and higher with every new song. People were still arriving to see what was going on, squashing onto the benches and standing around the edges, getting right behind the Swayin' Jays as they made their triumphant return. Feeding off that energy, the Swayin' Jays pushed harder, ignoring their growing aches as they continued to put on the best show to grace this venue.  
  
Grabbing up his banjo again as the jig faded away, Jamie kicked off into a shanty, thoroughly enjoying this time as the centre of attention for the gig. He had to make this good, for a few moments he was the only one on stage and had to make certain to keep most of the attention so the next stage worked flawlessly.  
  
Making her way up onto the stage in her pirate wench outfit, her marriage sword strapped to the front of her chair in easy reach, Emily made her way across to join Jamie front and centre, reaching up to rest one hand on his arm. Returning her smile, Jamie wrapped up his shanty and leant back against the barrel beside her, running his fingers lightly down her arm. Turning back to the crowd, they started up a sweet love ballad, voices rising in harmony and silencing the crowd with something totally unexpected.  
  
Finishing the song and leaning up to brush a soft kiss across Jamie's cheek, Emily turned her attention back to the audience and sighed, fingers running over the hilt of her wedding sword. Lifting her head, she started on a sweet yet mournful song of a young woman pining for her love out at sea. As she sang her sweet melody, another pirate dressed in rags climbed up onto the stage and approached her with a posy of slightly bedraggled flowers clutched in one hand.  
'I could be ya love.' he offered, kneeling beside her and offering out the flowers.  
'I already have someone.' Emily replied, refusing to take the flowers.  
  
Stepping up onto the stage dressed in all his finery, James growled at the sight of the mangy pirate beside his wife and drew his sword as he started across the stage.  
'Get ya mangy hands off my bonny lassie!' he roared, startling the pirate and sending him scrambling away from Emily's side.  
'I meant nothin' by it. She looked so lonely.' the pirate replied, bounding up onto a barrel and pulling his sword. 'I just wanted her to smile.'  
'I know ya type, ya wanted her as ya own.' James spat, chasing the pirate across the stage and back again. 'Get outta my sight, ya mangy mongrel!'  
'Alright, I'm goin'. No need to get violent.' the pirate nodded, lapping the stage again and bolting across the bridge.  
'Show ya face around here again and I'll show ya violent.' James challenged, standing at the end of the bridge and waving his sword. 'Filthy lot, gives all pirates a bad name.'  
  
Sheathing his sword and turning, James reached into one of the pockets of his fancy coat and wandered over to Emily. Stopping behind her, he pulled out the golden chain Jamie had handed him earlier and draped it around her neck. Stepping to the side as she touched the heavy stone, James swept her up and spun, laughing freely as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Taking a seat on a barrel and arranging Emily on his lap, James broke out into a song of triumph and joy, regaling her with tales from the sea and the people he had met along the way.

~*~*~*~*~

Wrapping up another of their well known bawdy ballads, the guys jumped down off their crates and barrels, shedding their fine jackets to reveal much simpler outfits below. Picking up a new tune, they wandered towards stage right and gathered around an aged stone bench. As they'd moved into their new position, Emily had vanished behind one of the large piles of barrels towards the rear of the stage.  
  
Resting his right knee on the bench, Jerry kicked off the song with a grin, playing up the fact he was actually the eldest of the group and thus could be considered the wisest of the five. Leaning on the bench as he was, his wooden leg disappeared from sight, giving this song a different feel to their nautical songs.

 _Near Banbridge town, in the County Down_  
 _One morning in July_  
 _Down a boreen green came a sweet colleen_  
 _And she smiled as she passed me by._  
 _She looked so sweet from her two white feet_  
 _To the sheen of her nut-brown hair_  
 _Such a coaxing elf, I’d to shake myself_  
 _To make sure I was standing there._  
  
 _From Bantry Bay up to Derry Quay_  
 _And from Galway to Dublin town_  
 _No maid I've seen like the sweet colleen_  
 _That I met in the County Down_.

Taking over the song as Emily rolled back into sight, Jason nudged Jamie and motioned to her, the nudge passing along the group until they were all watching her approach and settle her airy skirts around her legs as she looked around. She looked so beautiful in her blue and purple gown, long brown hair unbound and tumbling over her shoulders in elegant waves.

_As she onward sped I shook my head_   
_And I gazed with a feeling rare_   
_And I said, says I, to a passerby_   
_“Who’s the maid with the nut-brown hair?”_   
_He smiled at me, and with pride says he,_   
_“That’s the gem of Ireland’s crown._   
_She’s young Rosie McCann from the banks of the Bann_   
_She’s the star of the County Down.”_   
  
_From Bantry Bay up to Derry Quay_   
_And from Galway to Dublin town_   
_No maid I've seen like the sweet colleen_   
_That I met in the County Down._

Making a move towards Emily, Jamie let out a complaining whine when Jason pulled him back and brushed some dust from his shoulders. Accepting the gentle fussing, Jamie straightened his vest and brushed his hair back out of his eyes before accepting the hat James was holding out and cocking it roguishly on his head. Getting the all clear from his friends, Jamie turned and headed towards Emily as he carried the song higher.

_I've travelled a bit, but never was hit_   
_Since my roving career began_   
_But fair and square I surrendered there_   
_To the charms of young Rose McCann._   
_I’d a heart to let and no tenant yet_   
_Did I meet with in shawl or gown_   
_But in she went and I asked no rent_   
_From the star of the County Down._   
  
_From Bantry Bay up to Derry Quay_   
_And from Galway to Dublin town_   
_No maid I've seen like the sweet colleen_   
_That I met in the County Down._

Sniggering at Jamie's misfortune as Emily rolled away from him, James set his bodhrán down on the bench and stepped out of Emily's way. Wandering over to where the others were reassuring Jamie, he signalled that he was going to get the girl and went after Emily again. As he turned, he pinched his hat back and flicked his hair out of the way.

_At the harvest fair she'll be surely there_   
_And I'll dress in my Sunday clothes_   
_With me shoes shined bright, and me hat cocked right_   
_For a smile from me nut-brown rose._   
_No pipe I'll smoke, no horse I'll yoke_   
_Though with rust my plow turns brown_   
_Till a smiling bride by my own fireside_   
_Sits the star of the County Down._   
  
_From Bantry Bay up to Derry Quay_   
_And from Galway to Dublin town_   
_No maid I've seen like the sweet colleen_   
_That I met in the County Down._

Producing a vibrant red rose from inside his vest, he presented it to Emily and smiled as she inhaled the sweet scent with a soft smile on her face. Glancing over towards the guys, he lifted Emily into his arms and turned back to them, a spring in his step as he headed over to them with his bonny bride. 

_From Bantry Bay up to Derry Quay_   
_And from Galway to Dublin town_   
_No maid I've seen like the sweet colleen_   
_That I met in the County Down._

~*~*~*~*~

Playing up their drunken states a little more as the stage spectacular continued, the band really ramped things up as they came towards their grand finale. Changing back into their well known pirate outfits, they settled against a collection of barrels at the front of the stage and belted out several of their best known hits, offering up increasingly dirty toasts between the songs and doing everything they could to get the crowd up on their feet.  
  
Wheeling out a couple of their own cannons, the Swayin' Jays launched carefully packed bundles of brand new merchandise out into the crowd, the bundles popping open over the crowd and showering them with some really nice stuff. There were a few scrambles for some particuarly choice items but those disputes quickly settled down as another salvo of merchandise was launched.  
  
Watching as their crew moved the cannons back out of the way, the Swayin' Jays returned to their barrels and continued to sing, thrilled by how well this gig was being taken by the people. Familiar songs were shared and new songs accepted with open arms. Their disfigurements and injuries were easily forgotten as they continued to play it up for the crowd, getting them up on their feet and having the best time.  
  
Even when Jerry took the lead and spun them into a couple of country songs, the crowd stayed with them, clapping along and cheering as the band played on and showed that they were definitely more than just a one trick show. Their fans certainly seemed to appreciate their efforts, calling out for more of their new music and generally having a great time with all of it.  
  
Noticing a young woman trying her hardest to get her handicapped companion closer to the barrier so he could see, Jason stepped onto one of the connecting bridges and stepped down among the crowd. Waving the crowd back, he motioned for the young woman to bring her companion over and looked back over his shoulder at his friends.  
'Thank you. My brother Tommy has been a fan for many years, he always smiles when he hears the Swayin' Jays playing.' she offered, looking down at the young man.  
'Well hey there Tommy. Ya been havin' fun here today?' Jason grinned, crouching beside the high tech looking wheelchair.  
'When he does that little head roll, he means yes.' she explained, smiling down at her brother.  
'I guessin' ya didn't get anythin' from the loot cannons. I saw how hard ya had to fight just to get close enough to see anythin' on stage.' Jason sighed, looking up at the sister.  
'No, I tried but I can't stray too far from Tommy just in case someone tries to hurt him. It's happened before, people just don't understand.' she replied, running her fingers through Tommy's hair.  
'I understand. I have family with brain injuries. I know how hard it can be.' Jason nodded, turning back to the stage. 'James! Toss me two of the bags we prepped.'  
'On it.' James nodded, heading for one of the crates further back.  
  
Returning with two orange, white and green bags, James knelt on the edge of the stage and offered them out, a fond smile on his face as he waited for someone to come and take them. Another man tried to snatch them but James was on the ball, pulling them back out of his reach.  
'Go on, I'll stay with Tommy. Ya deserve a little somethin' special for all the work ya put into carin' for ya brother.' Jason nodded, straightening up and resting one hand on Tommy's shoulder.  
'Thank you so much.' she smiled, hurrying over to the fence and reaching up to take the bags. 'This is so kind of all of you.'  
'Here, this'll make it a bit easier for ya.' Jamie added, digging a matching backpack out of another case and holding it out to James.  
'And hopefully stop anyone tryin' to steal ya gifts.' James agreed, tucking the bags safely into the backpack and holding it out to the young woman. 'Take it with our blessin'. Ya doin' a great job with ya brother.'  
'I couldn't imagine not caring for Tommy as I do. We're all we've got.' she replied, getting a grip on the bag. 'Thank you, this means so much to us both.'  
  
Returning to her brother, the young woman hooked the precious backpack to the back of his wheelchair where it would be protected from anyone trying to steal it. Squeezing Tommy's shoulder again, Jason looked across the stage and nodded, signalling to a couple of the guys waiting in the shadows around the area.  
'Now these four men are going to make sure ya both have the best seat in the house for the rest of the show. And when the show is over, we'll give ya more one special treat.' Jason grinned, indicating the four scruffy pirates that had come up behind him. 'Ya can trust 'em, they might look rough but they're good men.'  
'This really is too much.' she uttered, astounded by the kindness being shown to her.  
'Like I said, I know how hard it can be carin' for someone with a disability. My sister has a TBI, I help out with her as much as I can.' Jason replied, squeezing her hand lightly. 'Often, the most desperately thing needed by a carer is simply a break and a chance to recharge.'  
'I won't deny that.' she nodded, looking down at her brother. 'Come on Tommy, let's go find our seats and enjoy the rest of the show.'  
  
Climbing back up and striding across the connecting bridge, Jason returned to his spot against the barrels and grinned, settling his drum back around his neck. Glancing over to the side, he watched the backstage crew help to carry Tommy and his chair up one of the wider access ramps and set him up on the ship where he could see everything.  
'Ya keep this up and people are gonna wonder if ya really are a pirate.' Jamie remarked, also looking over towards their special viewer.  
'What's the point of a reputation if ya can't help those in need? So what if that makes me a lousy pirate, at least I'm a decent person.' Jason shrugged, wiping the sweat from his face.  
'I'd say ya more than a decent person, Jason.' Emily grinned, reaching out to squeeze his wrist.

~*~*~*~*~

Catching Jason when he nearly stumbled off the edge of the stage, Emily hauled back on her left wheel and dumped him on his ass, cracking up laughing as he tried to get back onto his feet and ended up falling over again.  
'Alright, before someone actually does fall over the edge, I reckon it's time we wrapped up this show. It's gonna be real hard to finish this if they're all too drunk to stand and sing, much less play for ya.' she suggested, watching Jamie stumble across the stage and slide down among some crates.  
'I'm not drunk, luv. Just a little unsteady.' James replied, perching on a barrel and gripping the sides with both hands. 'The seas are gettin' rougher though.'  
'Not drunk my arse, James. Ya totally pickled.' Emily sniggered, shaking her head slowly. 'Come on lads, gather round and we'll have one last song.'  
  
Stumbling and crawling over to where Emily was waiting, the guys settled around Emily and got organised for one last song. Sitting on a hastily built bench of crates and boards, they shuffled their positions and nodded, ready for their grand finale  
'It's been a real blast hangin' out with ya today. So let's finish this show on a high note!' Emily called, setting her bodhrán on her lap. 'If ya know this one, sing along. If not, shut up or ya gonna throw us off. We're all fairly drunk and struggling' a bit with memory.'  
  
Leading them off, Jason leant back against a barrel behind their bench and took a swig from the tankard in his left hand. At the other end of the bench, Jerry started to look a little uncomfortable as the verse wound on, shooting nervous looks over towards Jason every few seconds.

_As I went home on Monday night as drunk as drunk could be_   
_I saw a horse outside the door where my old horse should be_   
_Well, I called me wife and I said to her: Will you kindly tell to me_   
_Who owns that horse outside the door where my old horse should be?_   
  
_Ah, you're drunk,_   
_You're drunk you silly old fool,_   
_Still you can not see_   
_That's a lovely sow that me mother sent to me_   
_Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more_   
_But a saddle on a sow sure I never saw before_

Taking over, James pushed the song higher into the air, rocking slowly as he focused on his bodhrán and the words. Sitting beside Jason, Jamie tensed up and looked down at the heavy jacket he was wearing then snapped his gaze back to James and swallowed quickly.

 _And as I went home on Tuesday night as drunk as drunk could be_  
 _I saw a coat behind the door where my old coat should be_  
 _Well, I called me wife and I said to her: Will you kindly tell to me_  
 _Who owns that coat behind the door where my old coat should be_  
  
 _Ah, you're drunk,_  
 _You're drunk you silly old fool,_  
 _Still you can not see_  
 _That's a woollen blanket that me mother sent to me_  
 _Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more_  
 _But buttons in a blanket sure I never saw before_

Keeping a firm grip on her chair, Emily carried the lead smoothly into the next verse, giving up trying to play as she focused on just staying in her chair and not falling out face first. Shifting a little where he was sitting, Jason pulled out a pipe from one of his pockets and stuck it between his teeth but quickly yanked it out of sight when Emily mentioned a pipe.

 _And as I went home on Wednesday night as drunk as drunk could be_  
 _I saw a pipe up on the chair where my old pipe should be_  
 _Well, I called me man and I said to him: Will you kindly tell to me_  
 _Who owns that pipe up on the chair where my old pipe should be_  
  
 _Ah, you're drunk,_  
 _You're drunk you silly old fool,_  
 _Still you can not see_  
 _That's a lovely tin whistle that me mother sent to me_  
 _Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more_  
 _But tobacco in a tin whistle sure I never saw before_

Stumbling as he stood, Jamie was saved from a nasty fall by Jason grabbing his shirt and pulling him back upright. He hardly seemed to notice the firm grip on his sword belt, far too busy trying to focus on his banjo and the words of the song. He didn't notice the guys all staring at Emily either, eyes drifting from her revealed boots to her face and back again. She just winked and shrugged, continuing to play along with the music.

 _And as I went home on Thursday night as drunk as drunk could be_  
 _I saw two boots beneath the bed where my old boots should be_  
 _Well, I called me wife and I said to her: Will you kindly tell to me_  
 _Who owns them boots beneath the bed where my old boots should be_  
  
 _Ah, you're drunk,_  
 _You're drunk you silly old fool,_  
 _Still you can not see_  
 _They're two lovely Geranium pots me mother sent to me_  
 _Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more_  
 _But laces in Geranium pots I never saw before_

Finding his feet, Jerry leant heavily on the barrel at his end of the bench and belted out the last verse, rolling his R's and swaying a little as he gazed over at his friends. The moment he mentioned his bed, gathering around the barrel at the other end of the bench. Hiding behind his band mates, James couldn't wipe the drunken smirk off his face, letting the audience know that he was the one Jerry should be ticked off at.

 _And as I went home on Friday night as drunk as drunk could be_  
 _I saw a head upon the bed where my old head should be_  
 _Well, I called me wife and I said to her: Will you kindly tell to me_  
 _Who owns that head upon the bed where my old head should be_  
  
 _Ah, you're drunk,_  
 _You're drunk you silly old fool,_  
 _Still you can not see_  
 _That's a baby boy that me mother sent to me_  
 _Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more_  
 _But a baby boy with his whiskers on sure I never saw before_

Moving to line up at the front of the stage, the band smiled and thundered out the final chorus again, leaning on each other and really throwing their all into their grand finale. Stepping out of the line and lowering his arm from where he'd been leaning on Jason's shoulder, James stumbled and fell, landing right in Emily's lap.  
  
Staring down at him in shock, Emily motioned Jamie over and together they hauled James back to his feet as the crowd started chanting for more.  
'We wanna thank each and every one of ya for comin' out here to support us today. Ya have no idea how much it means to us that ya all came out here to witness our return.' Jason called, putting his drum down again. 'And we'd sure be glad if ya always remember this…'  
'Here's to fighting, stealing and killing…' Emily grinned, bracing her wheels and raising her tankard high.   
'Fighting for what you believe in!' Jerry added, lifting his drink.  
'Stealing a young girl's heart!' James nodded, looking over towards Emily.  
'And killing a bottle with your friends!' Jamie finished, keeping one hand on James' shoulder.  
'Sláinte!' Jason chuckled, drinking deep. 'I was gonna say, we are the Swayin' Jays and we'll see ya again real soon.'  
  
Turning around, the exhausted band grabbed their instruments from where they'd put them before the final toast and headed towards the vines hanging at the back. Filing through the thick curtain of fake vines, they disappeared from view and finally got a chance to rest.  
'Thank fuck that's over. I'm beat.' Jamie uttered, putting his banjo away and slumping down.  
'We've still got to sign a few autographs and take some pictures with Tommy and his sister.' Jason replied, sinking down to sit. 'But that's all fairly easy.'  
'That's all stuff we've done so many times before.' Emily nodded, transferring to her relief mat on the ground. 'I'm more concerned that people will be expecting all our shows to be like this one.'  
'Fuck, I hope not.' James groaned, dropping down beside Emily. 'I can't keep doing so many stunts.'  
'I'm with James. That hurt a lot more than the training ever did.' Jerry added, slumping down and pulling off his wooden peg. 'Much better.'

~*~*~*~*~  
END


End file.
